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AltaPointe official urges use of 988 mental health crisis line as local calls rise
Summary
Heather Herrera of AltaPointe told the Mobile County Commission that 988 serves mental-health crises as well as suicide prevention and that local call volume at the lifeline center has increased from about 450 to about 1,100 calls per month over the past year.
Heather Herrera, assistant director of AltaPointe’s 988 Lifeline Center and Access to Care department, told the Mobile County Commission on Sept. 8 that 988 serves as a three-digit mental-health crisis line and that the center is working to raise awareness during Suicide Prevention Month.
Herrera said 988, which replaced the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in July 2022, handles mental-health crises in addition to suicide prevention. The local lifeline center has expanded outreach and now receives roughly 1,100 calls per month, up from about 450 calls per month a year earlier, she said.
"Any crisis can be handled through 988," Herrera said. "If you have any concerns about a friend or family member, you can call 988 on their behalf, and we’re happy to talk you through some next steps." She noted that callers who prefer text or chat can also reach crisis counselors via 988 and that many teenagers use anonymous chat or text options.
Commissioners and other meeting participants thanked Herrera for the local lifeline’s work. One speaker with law-enforcement experience observed that 988 can help take some mental-health calls off 911 when a counselor can de-escalate and connect a caller to outpatient or inpatient services; Herrera said there are times when 988 coordinates with 911 and emergency services on more severe calls.
Herrera shared an anonymous example: a caller who had previously reached the lifeline credited a counselor with saving her life and returned to call to say she was getting married next week, to illustrate the lifeline’s impact.
The presentation emphasized public awareness and encouraging conversations about mental health so that callers and concerned third parties know 988 is available. Herrera said the local lifeline center started operations in July (established locally July 2024) and that spreading awareness has led to higher call volume.
The commission did not take formal action on the presentation but commissioners expressed support for outreach and said they would assist in spreading awareness of 988 resources.
