Pictured: Christina Reed, 988 Chat Clinician, and Caleb Yoho, Manager of Crisis Hotlines

This month marks the two-year anniversary of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which has been providing free, confidential support to individuals experiencing thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crises, or any kind of emotional distress.

Netcare Access is a local 988 operator, answering calls as the primary center for six counties. We also serve as a backup operator for Franklin County and several other counties in Ohio and across the nation during call surges. Netcare is the largest of the three centers in Ohio that handle 988 Chat and Text interactions. Since Ohio’s 988 Chat and Text services are not routed by county, we receive messages from both our local area and from all across the state.

We recently took part in a media event to not only celebrate this important milestone but to also bring awareness to this free resource. The coverage we received by various media outlets underscores the importance and effectiveness of the 988 lifeline in saving lives and offering support to those in need.

Here are some highlights from the media:

• Watch NBC4 coverage
• Watch 10TV coverage
• Read ABC6 coverage
• Read The Columbus Dispatch coverage

We are proud of the strides made in providing critical support to our community and look forward to continuing our mission of helping those in need.

We are pleased to announce the release of our 2022 Annual Report, a comprehensive overview of our organization’s achievements and the impact we made in 2022.

We invite you to take a moment to delve into the report, to celebrate the success and understand the various ways in which your involvement and support have contributed to our shared accomplishments.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Pick up a copy of the December Columbus Monthly magazine, out now! Netcare is in the Profiles of Giving Special Section.

See the full guide here.

We’re featured in 2022 Columbus Business First Giving Guide. Learn more about the programs and services we offer as we help individuals attain recover and maintain well-being.

Want to be a behavioral healthcare advocate and do more in your community, donate today.

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Netcare Corporation, dba Netcare Access, will permanently end 24/7 on-site crisis services effective at 8:00 P.M. on Friday, November 25.

Netcare announced earlier this year to stakeholders and healthcare providers that due to recent staffing challenges faced by many sectors in healthcare, the on-site crisis unit was no longer a sustainable model for it to operate.

Netcare began reducing the on-site crisis services hours from 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on August 28, and then again reduced to daytime hours on September 26. This wind-down allowed Netcare to assist with the transition of the patient population to other resources in the community.

The Netcare on-site crisis services will assist its last patient on Friday, November 25 through 8:00 P.M. On the last day, patients will be transported to acute care facilities, referred to a behavioral health provider, and/or discharged to the community. For those coming to the unit after its closure, alternate resources in the community will be posted.

With the closure of on-site crisis services, Netcare will sustain 11 programs – expanding 2 of them while adding 2 more in the next 6 to 12 months. One will include a return to outpatient services after being awarded a 4-year, federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Netcare has recently expanded into answering 988 calls, texts, and chats for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Since 2018 Netcare clinicians have also been answering the Homeless Hotline, 614-274-7000, for individuals and families seeking shelter in Franklin County.

“While it was a truly tough decision to end our in-person crisis program after providing that service for more than a quarter of a century, first and foremost in our decision making was our steadfast notion that we must treat patients safely, effectively, and compassionately,” says Brian Stroh, MD, the CEO and medical director of the agency. “While the means by which we provide care will necessarily be different going forward, we look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve the patient population that has trusted us to do so for the past 50 years.”

For a copy of the press release please visit this link, Netcare Press Release – Closure of On-Site Crisis Services