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With demand up and funding down, California suicide and crisis centers struggle to keep up
Inside one of the state's 988 call centers.
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Courtesy of Didi Hirsch
)
Topline:
California 988 suicide and crisis lifeline contact centers — including the one in Los Angeles — say they are struggling to keep up with increased demand because of a lack of funding.
By the numbers: Providers report that 65% of crisis chats and texts were rerouted to other states last year because they didn’t have enough counselors.
Why that matters: Shari Sinwelski, with Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, Didi Hirsch, said having to route chats and texts out of state isn’t the best option. “They would be still trained to handle it from a counseling perspective. But they’re not going to know about those local issues and they’re not going to know about those local resources,” Sinwelski said.
How much is demand up?: Didi Hirsch, which runs the state’s largest contact center out of Los Angeles, said it saw the highest number of calls, chats and texts in its history last year. The more than 246,000 contacts handled in 2025 is up by about 43,000, nearly 20% higher than in 2024.
Funding request: At least 17 state legislators have signed onto a letter from California Assemblymember Gail Pellerin seeking an additional $37 million so California’s contact centers can hire more counselors and shore up other services, Sinwelski said.
Assistance For Mental Health Crises Or Support
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs immediate help, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or visit the 988 website for online chat.
For more help:
- Find 5 Action Steps for helping someone who may be suicidal, from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
- Six questions to ask to help assess the severity of someone's suicide risk, from the Columbia Lighthouse Project.
- To prevent a future crisis, here's how to help someone make a safety plan.
- Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s 24/7 Help Line (Spanish available): 800-854-7771.
- East Los Angeles Women’s Center 24/7 crisis hotline (Spanish available): 800-585-6231.
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for 24/7 crisis counseling.
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