Fact Sheet: Spotlight on Georgia’s Mental Health

and Substance Use Crisis Care 

Federal and local officials meet to discuss 988 Suicide & Crisis 

Lifeline one-year milestones, future of crisis care

Note to editors/reporters: B-roll and soundbites of Georgia’s crisis care system 

are also available for download at the 988 Newsroom page. 

Atlanta 

Mental health and substance use experts from the federal, state and local levels held a town hall on 

Friday at Georgia State University in Atlanta to discuss the milestones of the first year of the 988 

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and the future of crisis care for mental health and substance use in Georgia 

and across the U.S. Topics they discussed included: 

• 988 Lifeline: The First Year: Almost one year ago,

on July 16, 2022, the U.S. transitioned to 988 as

the easy-to-remember number to reach trained

crisis counselors for help with suicide, mental

health and substance use–related crises.

• The Future Vision: The longer-term vision for

mental health and substance use crisis care is to

build a robust response system across the country

that links 988 Lifeline users to community-based

providers who can deliver a full range of crisis care

services, if needed.

Speakers 

• Kevin Tanner, Commissioner of the Georgia

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental

Disabilities (DBHDD)

• Monica Johnson, Director of the 988 and Behavioral

Health Crisis Coordinating Office at the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA), the federal agency that

oversees the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Prior to this

role, Johnson served as Interim Commissioner for

DBHDD

• Kimberly Williams, President and CEO of Vibrant

Emotional Health, the 988 Lifeline national network

administrator

• Kyle Inhofe, Deputy Executive Director, the Veterans

Crisis Line (VCL)

• Kristine Cuellar, Deputy Director, DBHDD’s Georgia Crisis & Action Line (GCAL), part of the 988

Lifeline network of call centers

Spotlight on Georgia – Why Georgia? 

Georgia exemplifies many of the best

practices outlined in SAMHSA’s 2020 

National Guidelines for Behavioral Health

Crisis Care within a “no wrong-door 

integrated crisis system” that provides:

o 24/7 crisis intervention services via

phone, text and chat 

o Mobile crisis teams available for

dispatch in a timely manner to 

someone in crisis at their home, 

work or other location

o Crisis receiving and stabilization 

locations that provide short-term 

care and crisis stabilization services 

and referrals for follow-up care 

Georgia is a national leader when it comes 

to mobile crisis, which is provided 24/7/365 

throughout the state by DBHDD. The teams 

serve children, youth and adults 

experiencing a crisis related to mental 

health, substance use, 

intellectual/developmental disability or 

autism. A clinician and paraprofessional or 

certified peer specialist provide 

assessment, crisis intervention and 

determination of the most appropriate level 

of care.

Note to reporters/editors: b-roll package 

provides video of urban and rural mobile 

crisis. 

• Georgia exemplifies many of the best

practices outlined in SAMHSA’s 2020

National Guidelines for Behavioral Health

Crisis Care within a “no wrong-door 

integrated crisis system” that provides:

o 24/7 crisis intervention services via

phone, text, and chat 

o Mobile crisis teams available for 

dispatch in a timely manner to 

someone in crisis at their home, 

work or other location

o Crisis receiving and stabilization

locations that provide short-term 

care and crisis stabilization services 

and referrals for follow-up care 

• Georgia is a national leader when it comes

to mobile crisis, which is provided 24/7/365 

throughout the state by DBHDD. The teams 

serve children, youth and adults 

experiencing crisis related to mental health, 

substance use, intellectual/developmental 

disability or autism. A clinician and 

paraprofessional or certified peer specialist 

provide assessment, crisis intervention and 

determination of the most appropriate level 

of care.

• Note to reporters/editors: B-roll package 

provides video of urban and rural mobile 

crisis. 
• Selina Popovich-Evans, Director, Region 4 Mobile Crisis Response Team, Benchmark Human 

Services 

• Lori Holbrook, Chief Clinical Officer, Avita Community Partners

• Jolyn Matheson, Peer Specialist, Avita Community Partners

• Elvin Gittens, Certified Peer Specialist, Behavioral Health Link mobile crisis team

• 988 Lifeline Town Hall Moderator: Donna Lowry, Georgia Public Broadcasting 

Georgia Mental Health Stats and Relevant Issues 

• According to SAMHSA’s 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) State Estimates 

of Substance Use and Mental Disorders: 8.47% of Georgia residents 18 or older had a major 

depressive episode in the past year, 4.7% of Georgia residents 18 or older had serious thoughts 

of suicide and 1.45% of Georgia residents 18 or older made any suicide plans in the past year. 

• The Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey 2020–2022

found that 29.4% of adults in Georgia reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. 28.3% were 

unable to access counseling or therapy. 

• Rural South Georgians reached out for mental health and substance use crisis support at higher 

rates than their urban counterparts. Faced with unfavorable weather and climate change, unfriendly 

economic conditions and labor shortages, farmers of all types often cope with the pressures of 

their profession in unhealthy ways, including considering suicide.

More About the 988 Lifeline

 

• Since launching in July 2022, the 988 Lifeline has had about 3.6 million contacts through calls, 

chats, and texts—an average of about 360,000 contacts per month. Additional data. 

• Federal investment in the 988 Lifeline has totaled nearly $1 billion in recent years, not including 

mental health block grants and other federal money that supports behavioral healthcare systems. 

Of that $1 billion set-aside for 988, about $3.9 million has been awarded to Georgia to build local 

capacity. SAMHSA recently announced more than $200 million in new funding opportunities for 

the 988 Lifeline.

• Specialized services are also available: 

o Military veterans, service members and their families can reach the Veterans Crisis Line 

by pressing option 1.

o Callers who want to talk to someone in Spanish can do so with option 2. Spanish text and 

chat is expected to be available this summer. 

o And currently, a pilot program offers specialized call, text and chat supports for LGBTQI+ 

youth and people under the age of 25, by selecting option 3.

• Anyone who calls, texts, or chats 988 is not required to say who they are or where they are to

receive services from the 988 Lifeline. 

• In 2021, suicide was the second-leading cause of death for young people ages 10–14 and the fifth

in people ages 35–54. Also in 2021, almost 107,000 drug overdose deaths occurred. 

Additional notes for reporters/editors

• The 988 Lifeline Newsroom provides B-roll and other resources. 

• Also see 988 Lifeline FAQs.

• Reporters and editors are encouraged to include the following language when reporting about 

suicide: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or 

chat 988lifeline.org.