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CHARLESTON -- On Sept. 8, National 988 Day, First Choice Services is reminding West Virginians that help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that calls to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline are answered locally by trained, compassionate people. Headquartered in Charleston, First Choice Services has also recently expanded its West Virginia presence with a new office in Fairmont.
This year's national 988 Day message is, "988 Reasons: Your reason is reason enough." The message emphasizes that you do not have to be suicidal to reach out, and that there are no bad reasons to ask for mental health assistance.
"People call us for hundreds of reasons, and by the end of the conversation, the most common outcome is that they feel better," said Rozanna Bracken, 988 Program Director. "We employ close to a hundred people to respond to those reaching out to 988. In West Virginia, 988 calls, texts and chats come to our center and are answered by real people, no bots and no AI. Our crisis counselors listen, provide compassionate support, and give local resources for additional help."
She said some are fearful of calling 988, thinking emergency services will be deployed, but in fact less than 2% of callers require in-person assistance.
The organization also serves as a national backup resource, responding to chats and texts from people throughout the country when additional support is needed.
The need for these services has increased substantially, with contacts more than tripling in the last few years. In the last year, First Choice Services answered 13,000 chats and texts and nearly 25,000 calls from West Virginians. Additionally, they serve as a backup center for those unable to reach someone in their own state. They received over 60,000 contacts through that program last year.
First Choice Services also reminds West Virginians that they can also call 988 if they are concerned about a loved one, to get guidance on how to provide support, as well as local resources.