House recognizes 988 lifeline; First Lady and DBHDD commissioner speak on outreach

House members on Wednesday read House Resolution 878, commending the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline and highlighting state outreach efforts to raise awareness of the three-digit crisis number.

Representative Will Wade, sponsor of the resolution, invited the First Lady, Marty Kemp, and Kevin Tanner, commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), to address the chamber. The resolution and remarks focused on public awareness of 988 and the state's efforts to expand access to crisis services.

First Lady Marty Kemp told members education and outreach were a priority and thanked legislators who had supported recent bills addressing human trafficking and mental health. "It's okay to not be okay," she said, urging open conversation about mental-health needs.

Commissioner Kevin Tanner provided specific usage figures for Georgia's 988 service on the floor: "We receive over 20,000 calls a month just in the state of Georgia to the 988. We dispatch over 5,000 mobile crisis teams, every single month in the state. So and we have a disproportionate number of those calls coming from rural Georgia and from our agriculture community." He also said public awareness of 988 has grown from about 16% in 2023 to about 84% in a more recent poll the department conducted.

Why it matters

Lawmakers and state officials emphasized the role of 988 in connecting people in crisis with immediate help and noted outreach and legislative steps to support crisis services and survivors of trafficking. The remarks underscored both service usage and ongoing outreach needs, particularly in rural areas.

Status

The clerk read the caption for House Resolution 878 and the sponsor and invited guests spoke; the chamber paused for a photo following remarks. The transcript records the reading and floor remarks; the transcript does not include a recorded roll-call vote adopting the resolution during the segment provided.