Reflecting on Two Years of 988

988 state logo

In the second year since 988 launched, New Vista saw a 38 percent increase in local calls to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This amounts to more than 5,000 calls by Central Kentuckians to 988 between July 2023 and July 2024. We attribute the increase in calls to growing awareness around 988 and its 24/7 availability and continue to add volunteers and other staff members to expand our ability to take calls.

Each volunteer undergoes extensive training and receives round-the-clock support from New Vista employees. They help to de-escalate a crisis and connect callers to follow-up resources, like therapy, psychiatry and substance use treatment. All New Vista volunteers and crisis counselors share a common goal of wanting to let people know they are not alone.  

“To be able to make [callers] feel safe and start a conversation is probably some of the most important work we do when we first take a call,” said David Hafley, a New Vista 988 Volunteer who started taking calls in late 2023. Hafley has dedicated much of his life to supporting other survivors of suicide and those struggling with mental health after he lost his son Tom to suicide in 2015. “That has had ripples throughout our lives and the lives of hundreds of people,” he said, “in ways that were unimaginable at the time, but are real to this day.”

While Hafley acknowledges this kind of volunteer work can be difficult, he said it can also be extremely gratifying. “The best feeling I can have is after a discussion when someone says, “I feel better. I feel better and I’m glad we could talk,” Hafley said. “I’m not sure, in this world, if it can get much better than that.”

We are currently accepting applications for new 988 volunteers who are Kentucky residents, 18 years or older and have a high school diploma or GED. All volunteers receive 40-plus hours of training and may qualify for college credit. Visit newvista.org/bethelifeline for more information.

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1351 Newtown Pike Building 3, Lexington, KY 40511
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1351 Newtown Pike, Building 5, Lexington, KY 40511
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201 Mechanic Street, Lexington, KY 40507
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1351 Newtown Pike, Building 5, Lexington, KY 40511
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1351 Newtown Pike, Building 5, Lexington, KY 40511
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