The new 988 suicide prevention hotline will connect Kansans to help near them

Millions are poured into mental health services to support 988. Some haven’t seen this much investment in a while.
TOPEKA, Kansas — Think of the new 988 not just as an easier-to-remember suicide hotline.

The number that goes live in Kansas on Saturday also comes with an infusion of federal tax dollars aimed at creating a more powerful and nimble lifeline to families caught in a mental health crisis.

“It really spurred the initial progress to move forward with that,” said Sherrie Vaughn, the executive director of the Kansas branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “If you would have asked me four years ago, can we get there? I may have been hesitant to say yes.”