Crisis in 3 Digits: Suicide Helplines and the 988 Crisis Line
Tuesday, September 8th from 12pm-1:00pm
(1 CE Credit)
(For PA licensure, this fulfills 1 Suicide Prevention Act 74 CE Credit)
Presented by: Doug Tynan, Ph.D., ABPP
Program Description
Suicide helplines and crisis lines originated in London over 70 years ago, and have evolved to complex systems in Europe and North America, with the 988 line now in the United States. In the US, the well known 911 line replaced a patchwork of call centers for police, fire, health and other public safety, and managed behavioral crises. The first national suicide prevention hotline (800-273-TALK) had over 3.3. million calls in 2020 and transitioned to 988 in July 2022. This number was designed to manage all crises, not just suicidal ideation. Data indicate that over the past decade suicide rates have remained steady, with some patterns changing, and the data were certainly impacted by the COVID crisis. The future for 988 in Delaware is to include not only crisis management but referral services at all levels of care to help people connect with mental health clinicians.
Following this presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Describe the development of the 988 service from early helplines to the current 988 crisis line.
2. Demonstrate the differences between 911 and 988 and give examples of when to call each service.
3. Understand how the 988 system can identify the location of the caller even when they have an out of state area code.
4. Show how 988 crisis line has had an impact on suicide rates in the United States.
About the Presenter
Doug Tynan, Ph.D., ABPP: Dr. Douglas Tynan is a clinical psychologist licensed in PA and DE. He is highly regarded for his work for many years at Nemours Children's Health serving at various times as the Director of the ADHD Program, Director of Postdoctoral Fellow Training, and Director of the Primary Care Mental Health Program.
Dr. Tynan is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, past president of the Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, and past president of the Delaware Psychological Association. He has authored or co-authored more than 50 professional book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles.
Dr. Tynan is currently at Bryn Mawr Psychological Associates. His focus is on
evaluation and testing of children, adolescents and young adults with comprehensive psycho-educational evaluations, as well as more focused evaluations of cognitive ability, Learning Disabilities, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
