988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline serves as a beacon of hope for Kentuckians

LEXINGTON, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — September is Suicide Prevention Month and help is available for Kentuckians who need it.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has been a beacon of hope for many who need it. New Vista has received more than seven calls through the lifeline in the last month.

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“In today’s day and age, many people are lacking a sense of connection and are feeling like they don’t necessarily have someone they can go to if they’re in a time of need, dealing with stress or loneliness and just need someone to talk to,” said News Vista’s 988 Coordinator, Madalyn Schiller. “So we really strive for our 988 call takers to create an atmosphere that’s caring, nonjudgmental, and a safe space for people to reach out.”

Tai Punsuchart is a crisis line counselor for New Vista. After more than 50 hours of training, he now helps take lifeline calls.

“The helpline specifically is an opportunity for people just to call and ask for different types of assistance we can offer, we can look up different places if they’re not needing our services specifically, I can find out some other resources to help them,” said Punsuchart.

“It’s so important people have different options for which line they can be connected with depending on their situation because no two circumstances are the same; each person has a totally different set of needs,” added Schiller.

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Leaders said you don’t have to be having suicidal thoughts to call 988 for help.

“Suicide prevention also includes getting someone help before they’re at the thought of suicide,” said Schiller. “There’s no bad time to start, and it’s totally fair game to have a conversation, we can help direct them to resources; we can help them work through what they’re going through.”

New Vista offers crisis walk-in services throughout the week. Anyone can come to their office and talk with a therapist on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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