Klickitat Co. promotes 988 awareness

“One of the big things that we see is that we don’t have enough services for mental health in this county,” Quinn said. There’s no outpatient mental health services in Klickitat, though some resources are available through insurance.

Very few people have used the local crisis line since November 2022 — on average, 23 per month. Even fewer, about 13 per month, called the national 988 hotline from Klickitat County.

“It’s free, confidential and available 24/7 to our community, and it’s just not being utilized. We know people are struggling with mental health. We see that in our hospitals. We hear that from our law enforcement partners,” said Leah Becknell, a public health consultant working with Quinn.

“988 is a critical, life-saving resource designed to serve all people, regardless of identity or background. It promotes confidentiality, compassion, and a commitment to providing support without judgment … These tailored options matter deeply — not only because they meet specific cultural and communication needs, but also because they help people feel seen, understood, and safe,” Quinn said.

Quinn and Becknell organized a campaign throughout Klickitat to raise awareness for mental health and the 988 hotline. They’ve put together billboards, street banners, posters, school presentations, and ads in White Salmon, Bingen and elsewhere. Local law enforcement put 988 magnets on squad cars and hand out business cards. Local newsletters are including messaging in May. Goldendale’s public library created a display of related books, and White Salmon is working on another. Churches inKlickitat passed out info.

“We know that for many communities, the religious leaders are often ones who hear from people who are struggling — and serve that capacity very well — and want to make sure that we’re working in partnership with them and that they utilize 988,” Becknell said.

It’s “highlighted that there’s a lot of people in this area that are unaware of the service,” Quinn said, noting she was “just shocked at how many people didn’t even know that it was a resource.

“People didn’t understand that law enforcement generally will not show up if you call [988], that it is confidential, and that you get to talk to someone who should be empathetic and understanding and providing emotional support for you or a family member,” said Quinn. She also added that counselors can offer crisis de-escalation and can help you find other places to go for assistance.

The campaign of awareness will keep going as long Quinn and Becknell can find room on local billboards.

What to expect from a 988 call

988 is available as a phone call, text message, or online chat through a web browser.

A caller first encounters a menu, which will geolocate the call and route them to a counselor in the same area. A menu will allow the caller to choose counselors from the same 988 hub with special training for LGBTQ+ people, veterans, Spanish speakers, blind or deaf people, and Indigenous people. “They do say sometimes it will take a minute or two to get connected,” Quinn said. One thing 988 counselors won’t ask for is immigration status, she said.

If there’s an immediate threat to someone’s safety, the counselor will call 911. Otherwise, the call stays confidential and law enforcement will not be involved. “It’s not going to circle back to your insurance or your employer, or for youth, to their parents,” Becknell said.

Counselors can talk about what you’re experiencing, help create a safety plan, follow up at a later date, and help you connect with local resources — probably not in Klickitat County, but the next closest opportunity.

The hotline is for anyone with emotional or mental distress, or issues with substance use, or concerned family members, who can ask counselors about helping relations.

“Someone in crisis isn’t going to remember an 800 number,” Quinn said. “988 is so easy and simple.”

Asking for help can be hard

Both agreed that asking for help can come with stigma and fear, for some.

“I think just talking about it — it’s okay to say ‘Hey, I’m having some difficulty’ — and reaching out,” Becknell said. “For those of us that maybe were with a loved one, a family member or friend, how do we approach them? So that suicide prevention training is really an important component: That talking about it helps. It helps, it doesn’t hurt.”

Quinn added it’s important to call early on, before the issue reaches a crisis point. “Like many health conditions, mental health and substance use disorders tend to follow a path,” Becknell said. “[It] starts out, as things are, you know, not going so well and progresses over a period of time. And so, if we can intervene at earlier points in that process, the outcomes are always better.”

She emphasized 988 is for anyone: Those with thoughts suicide or self-harm, those with family members in crisis, depression, anxiety, trauma, abuse, or feelings of isolation, substance use concerns, or relationship or economic stress.

More info

On May 16, Klickitat County will staff a booth during White Salmon’s Skyline Health and Wellness Fair from 3-6 p.m. at Rheingarten Park.

A final suicide awareness and prevention training is set for May 14, 5:30 p.m. at Trout Lake School. Dinner and childcare provided.

Also, the Klickitat Board of Health will hear a presentation about 988 from Volunteers of America on May 27 in Goldendale, at about 2:15 p.m. Join the Zoom meeting at us02web.zoom.us/j/586587651#success.

Potential federal 988 cuts

According to a leaked budget proposal obtained by the National Public Radio, the Trump administration intends to only cut funding for the extra training some 988 counselors receive for helping LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. These youth are at a higher risk of suicide than the general population, based on surveys conducted by The Trevor Project nonprofit, and in need of a more culturally sensitive approach. According to the 2024 survey, 39% of LGBTQ+ young people “seriously considered attempting suicide” in the past year.

And 50% of queer youth who desired mental health care that year were unable to get it.

The LGBTQ+ line’s counselors get special training and can connect youth with special resources.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services noted in an email to the Milwaukie Journal Sentinel that this increased risk is not because of gender or sexual orientation; it comes from the discrimination and rejection, barriers and bullying these young people face.

“These kinds of decisions can have serious implications, especially for communities that already face disproportionate mental health challenges and barriers to care,” Quinn said via email. “988 is a critical, life-saving resource designed to serve all people, regardless of identity or background.

“It promotes confidentiality, compassion, and a commitment to providing support without judgment. Currently, 988 offers specialized support for several communities ... These tailored options matter deeply — not only because they meet specific cultural and communication needs, but also because they help people feel seen, understood, and safe.”