Crisis response rate in Arkansas still lower than U.S. average

Almost two years after the debut of a revamped national suicide hotline , its promise of a quicker, more seamless crisis response across the country is still a work in progress. Why it matters: Arkansas' 988 local answer rate was 72% at the end of May — up from about 40% during January but still well below the national average of about 89%.

• Reality check: Calls not fielded by someone in the state roll over to counselors elsewhere who may not be familiar with local resources or the best treatment referrals for Arkansans in need.

State of play: Congress gave states $1 billion to build out the 988 hotline amid nationwide concern over worsening mental health ; the expectation was that states would establish their own long-term funding to operate call centers and crisis services.

• But those efforts have been uneven, contributing to significantly lower response times in some states. As with much of the health care system, the level of crisis services available depends greatly on where callers live.

What they're saying: "We want a system where everybody has a comparable experience. It seems to me we're still a few years from that," said Chuck Ingoglia, CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

• Ingoglia and other advocates and experts contacted by Axios said 988 implementation has been improving.

"Transformation of this scale takes time and long-term success depends heavily on an ongoing coordinated effort by the federal government, states, territories, tribes and the network of more than 200 crisis contact centers," a federal Health and Human Services spokesperson said.

What's next: States and cities are also moving toward integrated 988 and 911 services, said KFF researcher Heather Saunders, who tracks policies around the hotline.

• Federal regulators are also looking to require that 988 calls are routed to a person's actual location — rather than their area code —to better connect them with nearby resources.

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 — or you can text message or call 988.