Thank lawmakers for funding the Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline | Opinion
Idaho’s spirit is rooted in rugged independence, tight-knit communities, and looking out for our neighbors during tough times. Yet in every county of our state, families and individuals face quiet crises. People are hurting. Some are at the brink. They rely on someone to answer the phone when they reach out for help.
As we commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month this May, Idaho is fortunate that once again, our legislators protected funding for the local operation of the Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline, part of the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The hotline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The 988 Lifeline is a national network of more than 200 local crisis centers like ours that combines local care and resources with national best practices.
According to the CDC, suicide is consistently among the top 10 causes of death for adults in rural states. In 2023, Idaho ranked fourth for the highest suicide rate of any state. As we manage a growing need for 988 crisis line services, it’s essential to have a local partner that understands Idaho.
Across the U.S., men in rural areas die by suicide at significantly higher rates than their urban counterparts. Idaho is no exception. Farming and ranching are honorable, physically demanding careers, but they often come along with economic uncertainty, isolation, long hours and stress that doesn’t always have an outlet.
We can honor our state’s heritage of strength and self-reliance without anyone feeling like they must face life alone. Idaho built its own crisis support system well before the national launch of 988, and it remains locally operated and staffed by people who understand Idaho’s rural realities and values. Today, we employ 50 trained employees to ensure 24/7 availability for Idahoans.
Idaho’s Crisis and Suicide Hotline saves taxpayer money. More than 85% of crisis situations are de-escalated by our team without needing law enforcement or emergency rooms. Our trained staff can call in extra help, including connecting callers to mobile crisis teams and community crisis centers, if needed. By keeping challenges from escalating, we ease the pressure on law enforcement, hospital emergency departments, particularly in rural counties where resources are already stretched.
Statewide data shows that investing in crisis services leads to faster help, better outcomes, and safer communities. Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline responds 24/7 to calls, texts and chats from Idahoans in crisis, deescalating the majority of situations and connecting individuals to mobile crisis teams or local crisis centers when needed. For example, in 2025 in Canyon County, the hotline responded to 2,883 contacts. Working with our mobile crisis partners, 456 dispatches helped make sure that the person in crisis received in-person support. Supporting early crisis response helps taxpayers avoid high-cost emergency care or even possible incarceration.
It’s an Idaho value to make sure families have access to help when they need it. The 988 line keeps farmers, veterans, truckers, teachers and grandparents alive, honoring those hardworking folks who built this state.
When someone in rural Idaho is in crisis at 2 a.m., there isn’t always a friend or walk-in clinic nearby. But there is always Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline — Idaho’s 988 — because our state has invested in it.
I hope you’ll join me in thanking Idaho lawmakers for supporting 988’s local partnership with Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline. Our partnership protects Idahoans’ lives, relieves pressure on first responders and keeps our communities strong.
Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline provides 988 support to everyone, run by and for Idahoans who understand what it means to take care of our own.
Lee Flinn is the director of Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline, the state’s 988 center. She lives in Boise. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 for immediate support 24/7.