The Washington State Department of Health launched a 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Data Dashboard to increase transparency around the state's crisis response system. The dashboard displays contact volume, answer rates, trends, geographic patterns, and select outcomes from the lifeline's four crisis contact hubs.
The 988 Lifeline connects people experiencing mental or emotional health crises, substance use concerns, or those seeking help for a loved one with trained crisis counselors. The service is free, confidential, and available 24/7 by call, text, or chat, and has operated nationally since July 2022.
In August, the 988 Lifeline received 17,969 calls, 4,510 texts, and 2,556 chats.
Answer rates varied by contact method from January through August. Call answer rates remained consistently high, peaking at 92.8 percent in July and 92.7 percent in August. Text answer rates averaged about 81 percent in the first three months, peaked at 91.8 percent in April, and fell to 88.8 percent in August. Chat answer rates averaged about 80 percent through June before rising to 88.1 percent in August.
"The number of contacts and the answer rate show that people in Washington know about the 988 Lifeline and trust this service can help support them in their greatest moments of need," said Lonnie Peterson, the state's 988 crisis systems manager. The state has implemented three layers of in-state backup, with calls routed to a national backup center if local counselors cannot answer.