Colorado’s suicide and crisis hotline is looking for individuals to join its board. 

The 988 Crisis Hotline Enterprise, which is funded by a prepaid wireless charge, said it is accepting applications for three director seats, the project announced on Friday.

The seven-member, volunteer board governs the program. Its members meet monthly, review and vote on funding and policy.

In particular, the program is encouraging individuals with experience in behavioral health and recovery services to apply. 

People can apply directly on the state’s website.

The 988 hotline went live in July of 2022, providing both phone and text support for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The 911-like system was federally mandated by the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020. Each state has a call center that puts callers in contact with live specialists, combining the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and Veterans Crisis Line under a 3-digit alias.

Through the first year of operation, 988 saw significant improvements in the operation of crisis lines. Nationally, the line received more than five million contacts, ranging from calls to texts and chats, over the first year. National answer rates saw a spike from 70% of calls answered in May 2022 to 93% in the same month the next year, according to the KFF health policy research group.

There were 49,449 suicide deaths in the United States in 2022, an increase of 2.6% from the previous year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

988 crisis line looks to empower others through awareness and care