The law establishing 988 left the funding of call centers largely to states. While it gave states the option to raise money the same way they do for 911, with a monthly fee on phone bills, only four states have authorized a phone-bill charge. The national labor shortage has also affected the ability to hire and retain employees. The work force was an issue for the mental health field “long before the pandemic,” said Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO, who noted that burnout was also a concern for professionals already in this space. While a lot of work has been accomplished since 988 was signed into law, Ms. Wesolowski said, “we’re trying to build a comprehensive system, and that’s going to take more than two years.”
