Georgia’s new 988 mental health hotline service, which launched last summer, was recognized Friday as a model for other states. But some Democratic lawmakers say last-minute budget cuts by the governor’s office could hamper planned 988 expansion.
At a town hall meeting Friday to discuss the hotline’s future, leaders cited Georgia as an example of what’s working. The success of 988, a nationwide helpline for people experiencing a mental health or drug crisis, was a bright spot for a state that has traditionally lagged behind in providing this care.
kAmp?5 J6E[ 2D 56>2?5 7@C E96 hgg 9@E=:?6 8C@HD[ =2H>2<6CD D2:5 E96 DE2E6 H:== ?665 >@C6 A6@A=6 E@ DE277 E96 A9@?6D 2?5 7FCE96C 6IA2?5 E96 EJA6D @7 D6CG:46D 36:?8 @776C65] p>:5 762CD @7 2 =@@>:?8 C646DD:@?[ H96? v@G] qC:2? z6>AD:8?65 E96 3F586E 96 E@=5 286?4:6D E@ :8?@C6 >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD E92E E96 {68:D=2EFC6 925 H2?E65 E@ :?4=F56]k^Am
kAm%96 62C=J 3F586E :?4=F565 Sa]a >:==:@? 😕 7F?5:?8 E@ 6IA2?5 hgg[ 2D H6== 2D H286 9:<6D 7@C >6?E2= 962=E9 AC@76DD:@?2=D] s6>@4C2E:4 =2H>2<6CD 2C6 ?@H H@CC:65 E96 =@DD @7 E92E >@?6J H:== AC:>2C:=J 9FCE A6@A=6 😕 E96 >:5DE @7 2 >6?E2= 962=E9 4C:D:D]k^Am
kAm”(92E 😀 4=62C 😀 E92E E96 H@C< 2?5 7@4FD E@ :>AC@G6 @FC >6?E2= 962=E9 D6CG:46D 24C@DD v6@C8:2 92G6 366? 56C2:=65[” D2:5 #6A] |2CJ |2C82C6E ~=:G6C[ 2 s6>@4C2E 😕 E96 DE2E6 {68:D=2EFC6]k^Am
kAm(96? :E 4@>6D E@ hgg DA64:7:42==J[ E96 C6DF=ED 😕 v6@C8:2 2C6 DEC@?8] ~? 2G6C286[ v6@C8:2 😀 2?DH6C:?8 42==D E@ :ED 9@E=:?6 😕 76H6C E92? `_ D64@?5D[ 2?5 92D 62C?65 9:89 >2C
came “%9:D DE2E6 😀 2 DE2C[ 2?5 E9:D DE2E6 😀 @?6 E92E D9@F=5 36 =:7E65 FA 2D 2? 6I2>A=6[” D2:5 |@?:42 y@9?D@?[ 2 5:C64E@C @G6CD66:?8 E96 hgg $F:4:56 U2>Aj rC:D:D {:76=:?6 2E E96 7656C2= =6G6=[ D2:5 2E 2 E@H? 92== 6G6?E 2E v6@C8:2 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ 😕 pE=2?E2] q67@C6 E9:D[ y@9?D@? D6CG65 2D E96 :?E6C:> 4@>>:DD:@?6C 2E sqwss 😕 v6@C8:2]k^Am
kAm%9@D6 42== ?F>36CD 2C6 @?=J 6IA64E65 E@ C:D6]%96 hgg ?F>36C 92D ?@E 366? H:56=J AC@>@E65 J6E[ 3FE sqwss r@>>:DD:@?6C z6G:? %2??6C D2:5 😕 2? :?E6CG:6H E92E 9:D 286?4J H:== 36 H@C<:?8 E@ DAC625 E96 H@C5 :? E96 4@>:?8 >@?E9D] %96 DE2E6 286?4J H:== AC65:4E 7FEFC6 42== G@=F>6 😕 v6@C8:2 2?5 E9@D6 6DE:>2E6D H:== 2=D@ :?7=F6?46 E96 286?4J’D 3F586E C6BF6DE 7@C E96 a_acad 3F586E J62C]k^ Am
kAm”x 2> G6CJ @AE:>:DE:4[” %2??6C D2:5 @7 hgg 😕 v6@C8:2] “(6 92G6 366? 23=6 E@ <66A FA H:E9 56>2?5 2?5 :>AC@G6 @FC 2?DH6C E:>6]”k^Am
kAmz6>A’D :?DECF4E:@? 7@C E96 DE2E6 E@ ?@E DA6?5 hgg 7F?5D H2D 3642FD6 E96 >@?6J H2D 62C>2C<65 7@C 25>:?:DEC2E:G6 7F?5:?8 E@ hgg C2E96C E92? 5:C64E C6DA@?D6 D6CG:46D 7@C E9@D6 😕 4C:D:D]$@ 72C[ 42== G@=F>6 92D ?@E :?4C62D65 E@ 2 =6G6= E92E C6BF:C6D 255:E:@?2= DFAA@CE @G6C E96 6I:DE:?8 =6G6=D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ z6>A’D 3F586E :?DECF4E:@?D]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C 3F586E 4FE E92E D@>6 s6>@4C2E:4 =2H>2<6CD E@@< :DDF6 H:E9 H2D >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD 😕 H286 9:<6D 7@C >6?E2=962=E9 AC@76DD:@?2=D]”%96D6 H286 :?4C62D6D H6C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 E2C86E65 E@ E96 8C62E6DE ?665[” D2:5 $6?] $2==Jw2CC6==[ 2 s6>@4C2E]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 3F586E 5:5 :?4=F56 @E96C 82:?D 7@C >6?E2= 962=E9[ :?4=F5:?8 :?4C62D65 @G6C2== 7F?5:?8 7@C E96 56A2CE>6?E 2?5 >@C6 >@?6J 7@C >@3:=6 4C:D:D D6CG:46D — E96 EC2:?65 AC@76DD:@?2=D H9@ 2C6 5:DA2E4965 E@ A6@A=6 H9@ 42== hgg 😕 5:DEC6DD]k^Am
camp <6J 25G:D@C E@ z6>A 5676?565 E96 8@G6C?@C’D 564:D:@? @? (65?6D52J[ 2D H6== 2D 9:D C64@C5 @? >6?E2= 962=E9i ?@E @?=J 92D E96 DE2E6 366? 7F??6=:?8 >@C6 >@?6J :?E@ >6?E2= 962=E9 D6CG:46D :DDF6 F?56C E96 8@G6C?@C’D E6?FC6[ 3FE z6>A 5:5 H92E 96 925 E@ 5@ E@ 6?DFC6 E96 DE2E6’D 7:D42= 962=E9]k^Am
kAmr@5J w2==[ 25G:D6C E@ v@G] qC:2? z6>A[ D2:5 E96C6 H2D 23@FE 2 Sa__ >:==:@? 9@=6 E92E E96 v6?6C2= pDD6>3=J 49@@D6 ?@E E@ 7F?5 😕 E96 =2E6DE 3F586E[ 2?5 E92E E96 DE2E6 42? @?=J AF== D@ >F49 >@?6J 7C@> :ED C6D6CG6D 367@C6 E96 (2== $EC66E 4C65:E C2E:?8D 286?4:6D E2<6 ?@E:46] %96 DE2E6 ?@H 92D 2 C64@C5 Sd]a 3:==:@? :? C6D6CG6D]k^Am
kAm”%9:D J62C[ E96C6 H2D 2 =2C86C 9@=6 E92? FDF2=[” w2== D2:5 @? E96 v6@C8:2 !F3=:4 qC@2542DE:?8 C25:@ D9@H “!@=:E:42= #6H:?5]” “(92E E96 8@G6C?@C 😀 CJEU:?8 E@ 5@ 😀 >2<6 DFC6 E92E H6 2C6 A=2??:?8 @FC 3F586E AC@46DD J62CD :? 25G2?46 2?5 E92E :7 E96C6 :D 2? 64@?@>:4 5@H?EFC? ]]]H6 2C6 AC6A2C65 2?5 H6’C6 ?@E 2D<:?8 286?4:6D E@ 4@>6 😕 2?5 >2<6 dT[ `_T @C `dT 3F586E 4FED]”k^Am
kAmv6@C8:2 @7E6? 92D C2?<65 E@H2C5D E96 3@EE@> @7 DFCG6JD E92E >62DFC6 9@H DE2E6’D 56=:G6C >6?E2= 962=E9 42C6]qFE E96 8@G6C?@C 2?5 =2H>2<6CD 92G6 >256 DEC:56D 😕 :>AC@G:?8 2446DD]{2DE J62C[ =2H>2<6CD @G6CH96=>:?8=J A2DD65 2 feA286 @G6C92F= @7 E96 >6?E2= 962=E9 42C6 DJDE6>[ H9:49 H2D 2 AC:@C:EJ @7 E96?w@FD6 $A62<6C s2G:5 #2=DE@?[ H9@ 5:65 :? }@G6>36C] %96 =2H 2:>DE@6?DFC6 E92E :?DFC2?46 4@>A2?:6D 4@G6C >6?E2= 962=E9 42C6 E96 D2>6 H2J A9JD:42= 962=E9 42C6 :D4@G6C65]{2H>2<6CD 2=D@ 8C62E=J :?4C62D65 7F?5:?8 7@C >6?E2= 962=E9 D6CG:46D]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ E9:D J62C’D 677@CE E@ :>AC@G6 v6@C8:2’D >6?E2= 962=E9 42C6 DJDE6> DE2==65 😕 E96 $6?2E6i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^=68:D=2E:G6?2G:82E@C]2;4]4@>^R3:==D^wq^da_Qmw@FD6 q:== da_k^2m 7@4FD65@? 255C6DD:?8 2 D9@CE286 @7 >6?E2= 962=E9 AC@G:56CD 2?5 DEC62>=:?:?8 E96 H2J 286?4:6D D92C6 :?7@C>2E: @? 23@FE A2E:6?ED[ :?4=F5:?8 H92E E96 3:== 42==65 “72>:=:2C 7246D” E92E =2H 6?7@C46>6?E 2?5 >6?E2= 962=E9 AC@G:56CD D66 E:>6 2?5 E:>6 282:?]k^Am
kAm%96 3:== @G6CH96=>:?8=J A2DD65 E96 w@FD6 3FE 72:=65 E@ 86E 2 G@E6 😕 2 $6?2E6 4@>>:EE66]k^Am
kAmpD 7@C hgg[ %2??6C D2:5 E92E 8@:?8 7@CH2C5[ E96 DE2E6 H:== ?665 E@ 4@?E:?F6 3F:=5:?8 @FE E96 6?E:C6 >6?E2= 962=E9 DJDE6>]k^Am
kAm”(6 8@E 2 =@E @7 H@C< E@ 5@[ 3FE H6 92G6 E96 E62> E92E’D FA E@ E96 492==6?86 2?5 😕 2 DE2E6 E92E’D 92G:?8 D6C:@FD 4@?G6CD2E:@?D[” %2??6C D2:5] “(6 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ 36 2 =6256C 😕 E9:D 2C62]”k^Am
k9C^m
kAm—#6A@CE6C y2>6D $2=K6C 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^Am
k9C^m
kAm©a_ab %96 pE=2?E2 y@FC?2=r@?DE:EFE:@?]’:D:E 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2;4]4@>^Qm2;4 ]4@>k^2m]s:DEC:3FE65 3J %C:3F?6 r@?E6?E p86?4J[ {{r]k^Am
Copyright 2023 Tribune Content Agency.
