Texas Crisis Hotline Faces Serious Funding Shortfall

Texas’ 988 Suicide Hotline faces a critical funding shortfall, leaving thousands of desperate callers without support.

At a Glance

The Texas 988 Suicide Hotline is experiencing a $7 million funding deficit.
Over 18,500 calls were abandoned between January and August 2024.
Texas ranks second in the nation for call volume but fifth for dropped calls.
The hotline received over 380,000 calls from Texans since its launch.
Lawmakers will address stable funding in the upcoming 2025 legislative session.

Crisis Looms as Texas Suicide Hotline Struggles with Funding

The Texas branch of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is grappling with a severe funding crisis, jeopardizing its ability to respond to the increasing number of mental health emergencies. With a $7 million shortfall for fiscal year 2024, the hotline is facing challenges in managing the surge in demand for its services.

Since its launch, the 988 hotline has received over 380,000 calls from Texans, making it the second-highest call volume in the United States. Alarmingly, a third of these calls were made in just the first six months of 2024, highlighting the growing need for mental health support in the state.

Texas’ 988 suicide had the nation’s fifth highest rate of abandoned calls in August, the latest data available, amid a multi-million funding deficit that could worsen as federal dollars expire this year. https://t.co/wCuRWJKekl

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) January 7, 2025

Understaffed and Overwhelmed

Texas currently operates five call centers with 166 crisis counselors, resulting in an average of 95 calls per counselor per month. This understaffing has led to significant challenges in meeting the national standard of a 90% in-state answer rate, with Texas only managing to answer 85% of calls locally.

“We’re doing way more work than we’ve ever been able to do. If you want us actually to meet the volume of Texas, then somebody’s got to decide to increase the resources that are made available to centers so that we can increase the number of people we serve,” Jennifer Battle, of the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD, said.

The consequences of this understaffing are dire. Between January and August 2024, over 18,500 calls were dropped, placing Texas fifth in the nation for abandoned calls. This means that thousands of Texans in crisis were left without the critical support they desperately need.

Funding Challenges and Future Solutions

The 988 hotline, a federally mandated but state-run service, is facing declining federal funding and workforce shortages. Texas lawmakers have yet to address the development of 988 call center capacity adequately. However, the upcoming Texas legislative session in January 2025 will focus on establishing stable funding for the hotline.

Senate Bill 188 proposes the creation of a 988 trust fund, supported by a cellphone bill surcharge. This initiative aims to expand capacity, increase counselor pay, and enhance technology availability. The proposed 50 cent fee surcharge on phone bills to fund crisis services is similar to measures already approved in ten other states.