WYOMING — During the Governor’s second Mental Health Summit on April 18, Governor Mark Gordon emphasized the importance of suicide call centers and called out those who have failed to financially support the 988 program.
On Feb. 23, Governor Gordon signed a bill to provide 24/7 coordinated crisis care to anyone in Wyoming accessing the 988 system. The Wyoming Department of Health has stated that “most [988] Lifeline callers are significantly more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed and more hopeful after speaking to a Lifeline crisis counselor.”
While the proposed 988 bill included setting up a $46 million trust fund to permanently support the call centers, the House approved an amendment to remove the permanent funding before the bill passed.
“Don’t just put it off on somebody else to fund,” Governor Gordon said to the lawmakers during the Summit.
According to the Governor, Wyoming has seen the highest volume of suicide hotline calls in the last year. The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) shows that Wyoming continues to have the highest death rate from suicide in the U.S.
