The lifesaving work happening behind the scenes at Ohio's 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is both humbling and extraordinary. With over 592,000 contacts in just three years—approximately 700-800 daily—the service has become a critical resource for Ohioans experiencing mental health crises.
What makes this number even more remarkable is the human connection happening with each call. As 988 specialist Pru Hudson shares, "Somebody's having their worst day ever so what could be more important than being able to hold space with them?" This philosophy drives the dedicated professionals who answer these calls within an average of just 23 seconds—significantly faster than the national average of 34 seconds.
The podcast reveals the deeply personal motivations behind those who staff the crisis line. Doug Jackson, who administers the 988 system, found his way to this work after hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, an experience that gave him "a different life perspective."
Hudson, with decades of experience in social work, describes the profound impact of simply being present for someone in crisis: "The loudest message you can send to another person is I'm here, I'm waiting, whatever your crisis is, we're in this together."
Perhaps most powerful is the understanding that 988 serves as a judgment-free space where callers define what constitutes a crisis for them. No identification is required, no time limits imposed. The vision for 988's future includes expanding awareness beyond the current 36-50% of Ohioans who know about the service and developing additional resources like mobile crisis units to create a comprehensive mental health emergency response system. The ultimate goal? As Jackson puts it, ensuring that "mental health resources would be on an equal level of physical health needs."
Whether you're personally struggling or concerned about someone else, 988 is waiting to help and so is the entire team at OSPF.