The texting system for Missouri’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is being criticized by a state lawmaker.
Rep. Tricia Byrnes, R-Wentzville, said in many ways, Missouri leads the way on 988, but she said it has a “catastrophic error that we can fix.”
She has filed House Bill 1148 in response to texting 988 when she said she and her husband were in danger of someone having a mental health crisis. According to Byrnes, 988 asked her several multiple choice questions, some of which she questions if they were necessary at the time.
In a statement to reporters, Byrnes said as part of her fact-finding effort, she tested the 988 texting option last week and said the system appeared to be automated.
“This is unacceptable,” she said. “If someone in immediate distress were to reach out expecting real help, they might not get it—and that could cost lives.”
During a hearing Tuesday on her bill, she said she wants to require live crisis counselors to ask key questions at the start of the conversation to quickly assess the level of danger and determine the next steps.
“My bill is simply to say, ‘Hey, you know what? Maybe when somebody texts 988, maybe a person should pick up, number one. But number two, maybe you should ask if they are safe,” she said. “When I call AAA, the first thing they ask me is, ‘Are you safe?’ It didn’t even ask me that.”
According to Missouri988.org, the 24/7 federal mental health hotline offers rapid access to behavioral health support through connection with trained crisis specialists. The hotline is handled at the state and local levels.
The Department of Mental Health, which oversees the state’s 988 response, did not testify on the bill. In a statement to Missourinet, the department said it is working with its 988 national and statewide partners to address concerns.
To listen to the public hearing on the bill, click below.
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