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Mental health assistance in Mississippi is just a phone call away

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12 months ago

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988 provides a listening ear and connections to resources that can alleviate concerns.

Brevity is key when creating a service people will remember and utilize. For instance, everyone knows that if there’s an emergency such as a fire, they should dial 911. A similar thought is why 988 went into effect to connect those dealing with mental health issues with trained crisis counselors.

In the spring of this year, 988 officially went into service in Mississippi. While mental health assistance has been available in the state of Mississippi, and across the country, in the form of lifeline call centers for decades, efforts to establish a nationwide three-digit service gained steam when Congress passed the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018.

The federal Act mandated a study that resulted in the passage of the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, which designated 988 as the universal number for a nationwide mental health crisis hotline network.

To ensure the calls are fielded by personnel knowledgeable of local resources, call centers are localized by state. In Mississippi, two existing call centers were folded into the 988 lifeline network.

Prior to 988, reaching the call centers involved dialing a 1-800 number. Mississippi Department of Mental Health Chief of Staff Katie Storr said it was fortunate this state already had a crisis lifeline system in place prior to the establishment of 988.

Establishment of 988 aims to tackle ongoing mental health concerns in the United States. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, during 2020 every 11 minutes a person died as a result of suicide. The act was cited as one of the leading causes of death in people aged 10 to 34 by the administration.

The largest call center in Mississippi, CONTACT the Crisis Line, covers 74 of the state’s 82 counties, while the second, CONTACT Helpline, covers the remaining eight counties around Columbus and Starkville, said Brenda Patterson, Executive Director for CONTACT the Crisis Line.

While the two have coverage areas, the centers work together to take calls when the volume outpaces available crisis counselors at either location. If neither call center has available counselors within the state who can answer, the call rolls out-of-state to a neighboring center in the network. However, the majority of calls are answered by crisis counselors working in the Magnolia State.

Both call centers currently tout a more than 90 percent in-state answer rate, Patterson cited.

The answer rate is especially of note since after rolling out this year, lifeline crisis counselors in Mississippi saw a 20 percent increase in call volume, said MDMH Executive Director Wendy Bailey.

Over the last three months, call volumes in Mississippi averaged roughly 1,200 per month for 988, with another 1,000 coming to the regular crisis line (601-713-HELP), Patterson noted. Mississippi’s two centers are among 14 states that average more than 90 percent of the calls being answered by an in-state crisis counselor. 

“Callers to 988 in Mississippi can be assured that it will be a Mississippi crisis counselor to take the call and they can be connected with local help if needed and/or if the caller is needing a local resource that the crisis counselor would have the most up-to-date referral sources,” Patterson said.

Nationwide since July 2022, 5 million people called 988, a 2 million increase from the previous year, according to a report issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Answer speeds also improved from 2 minutes and 39 seconds to just 41 seconds.

Patterson and CONTACT Helpline Executive Director Katrina Sunivelle say the bulk of calls taken at the centers involve a person dealing with depression and loneliness, along with financial problems, anxiety and domestic abuse. Young people – those under 21 – typically reach out to 988 because they are dealing with bullying, thoughts or acts of self-harm, and questions about sexual orientation, Patterson said. Counselors also receive calls from concerned loved ones who suspect their friend or family member is considering suicide.

Patterson said the service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and if someone needs help but does not want to talk, crisis counselors can be reached by sending a text message to 988 or through an online chat that can be found at 988Lifeline.org.

“And that’s how we’re able to reach our young people, because our young people are not necessarily going to pick up a telephone and talk, but they are very, very interested in chat and text. So, we do have dedicated staff that that’s all they do is online emotional support,” Patterson said. “That’s something we are really excited about. We have been involved with chat and text from the beginning in one way or another since 2010.”

Call volumes are expected to increase during the holidays because that is usually when people reflect on lost loved ones which can lead to depression. Calling 988 can be a way to relieve some of that stress, Sunivelle said.

“It’s difficult when you’re dealing with depression during the holidays. Especially if they lost someone like a parent or child. It’s like deep depression and when that time of the year rolls around, they reflect on memories,” Sunivelle said.

All crisis counselors undergo 40 hours of training that focuses on how to address depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide before they begin to take calls. The training also includes active listening, applied suicide intervention and crisis intervention skills, in addition to other topics. Face-to-face lectures, role play phone calls and observations of actual calls prepare crisis counselors to help those who reach out. Only paid personnel with years of experience answer calls to 988, while volunteers answer calls to the 601-713-HELP lifeline, Patterson said.

Of the about 75 people who answer calls at her call center, Patterson said only a fraction are paid staff that handle 988 calls, and all of them started out as volunteers. Many crisis counselors have professional backgrounds in a mental health field, including the volunteers.

“So, we kind of have a blended center in which we utilize paid staff in addition to volunteers, but all of our 988 staff are paid, seasoned staff that have volunteered for a number of years before coming on as a 988 crisis counselor,” Patterson added.

In order to be considered for a paid position, crisis counselors have to volunteer for at least 300 hours, said Sunivelle. Those hours can be completed within a few months in the case of an intern, or it may take longer for volunteers who have full-time jobs. Within Sunivelle’s call center, there are 21 volunteers and staff, of which 16 are paid.

No matter how seasoned the crisis counselor is, all are trained to handle any issue the individual is dealing with, volunteers included.

“Everyone receives the same training to begin with, what changes is when someone becomes a dedicated 988 staff person that’s when they become a little more astute as far as working with the mobile crisis team and also making those follow up calls and the idea of doing chat and text,” Patterson described.

If during the call the crisis counselor determines the caller needs immediate assistance in the form of a mobile crisis team, the counselor performs a warm handoff, where the mobile crisis team is brought into the call to provide the necessary assistance, Patterson stated. But most of the time calls do not get to that step since about 80 percent of callers find the help they need by just calling 988. This is attributed to crisis counselors having access to a resource manual that lists all of the various services offered in each county. Using that manual, the counselor can connect the caller with the proper assistance. For instance, if the caller is depressed because they can’t pay their rent or utilities, they are referred to charity organizations that provide financial assistance, Patterson said.

“The big difference between 911 and 988 is that we’re not just a dispatch. We are a dispatch, but we are very proud that 80 percent of the calls are managed within the call without even having to reach out to that next step, which is the mobile crisis team or the emergency room,” Patterson said.

Due to the sensitive nature of discussing a person’s mental health, anonymity is paramount for lifeline and 988 crisis counselors. Patterson said calls are never recorded, even though the caller will hear a message saying “calls may be recorded” before being connected with a counselor. Sunivelle added the call centers also do not have caller ID, so counselors do not know who is calling.

Crisis counselors will, however, ask if the caller would like a call back at the end of the conversation, which is optional.

“While they do not have to give their name on the lifeline, we do ask at the end of the call if they would like to have a follow up call from the regional mental health center in their area. If they say no, that’s ok,” Patterson elaborated.

Specialized services are also offered through 988. Pressing “1” will transfer the caller to staff prepared to assist veterans. Dialing “2” will connect the call to a crisis counselor fluent in Spanish and dialing “3” will connect the individual with counselors who can assist members of the LGBTQ community.

Sunivelle added that while the Veterans Affairs office does a good job of caring for veterans, the 988 call center acts as a bridge between appointments and provides resources to help strengthen an individual’s safety plans. Safety plans are essentially a list of strategies that help a person cope with hurdles in life and thoughts of suicide.

Funding for the call centers comes through various sources, including a contract with MDMH, grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that are overseen by MDMH, and individual contributions, Patterson said.

“We have done fundraising in the past, not as much now, but like any non-profit we’re always looking for new creative ways to gain revenue,” Patterson said.

The success of the program means efforts to expand it are in the works. Through the use of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Bailey hopes to be able to have access to more funds that will allow the call centers to increase the number of crisis counselors and provide the necessary equipment. Efforts are also underway to identify other potential revenue sources.

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By: Jeremy Pittari
Title: Mental health assistance in Mississippi is just a phone call away
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Published Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2023 20:25:11 +0000

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Staring mortality in the face at Christmas

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11 months ago

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December 16, 2023

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My friend Jarrod is dying after an eight year battle with cancer. He’s lived a life worth celebrating, one that has drawn people to Christ.

I was going about my business this week when I received a text that stopped me in my tracks. A college friend was being moved to hospice care.

Jarrod Egley was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in early 2017. In the fall of 2018, tests revealed the cancer had spread to his lungs and Jarrod’s cancer was classified as Stage IV.

For almost eight years from the date of the original diagnosis, he’s fought. Through surgeries, radiation, endless rounds and cycles of chemotherapy, and experimental immunotherapies, he’s fought.

Last year, I flew out to California and spent some time with Jarrod and his wife, Emily. We sat outside one night. He acknowledged to me that it was not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’ the cancer would claim his life. I told him I was sorry, because what else is there to say?

We talked about our faith, about the trials of Job, about Jacob wrestling with God, about Paul’s affliction. But mostly we reflected on our time together in school, on the good things, and the mundane things, that happened since.

Jarrod and I met at Tulane University. One Sunday morning in the Spring of my freshman year, I rose from my dorm room bed, dressed, and began walking down Saint Charles Avenue in New Orleans with no particular agenda. I walked until I came across First Baptist Church and the thought flickered in the vacuous recesses of my brain to enter.

Some would say it was a lark. The Calvinist in me says providence. The walk that morning changed the trajectory of my time at Tulane and my life on the whole. Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry became central to my life and put me in regular league with Jarrod. I met him first at the BCM and we ultimately ended up attending church together.

Jarrod was a faithful servant on and off campus. He helped organize a group of us that would weekly make our way down to the Esplanade seawall on the backside of the French Quarter to feed the homeless. On Friday nights, he could be found at chapel with a small cadre of students foregoing Bourbon Street for early 2000s worship music.

Jarrod was a loyal friend in those years. Never rude or biting. Not prone to an insult for an easy laugh. Persistently encouraging. An engineering student, his mind worked linearly and was oriented to problem solving. There were never a lot of wasted words — always a lot of deliberative questions when he disagreed or did not understand a point. He exhibited intelligence, empathy, and the kind of moral conviction that sets someone apart.

He also had a wry and dry sense of humor and a penchant for beating people at Madden football. He was fair-to-midland on the ultimate frisbee pitch. Along the way, there were crawfish boils, Mardi Gras outtings, poorly attended Tulane football games, and more than a decent amount of wing eating.

After college, I lost touch with Jarrod. He moved back to his home state of California. He got married to his college sweetheart, who could not have anticipated her husband’s journey, but has been a steady and constant helpmate throughout. Jarrod became a very successful engineer and a bourbon connoisseur. One of his bucket list trips took him to Kentucky, where he got to meet and became friends with bourbon “Hall of Famer” Freddie Johnson of Buffalo Trace acclaim.

Jarrod at Buffalo Trace Distillery (Spring 2022).

Sitting in his backyard nearly 20 years after graduating from Tulane, I saw many of the same qualities I had grown to admire when we were students together. I saw a husband who doted on and supported Emily’s passions. But I also saw someone whose body had been beaten to hell and back, who was tired, and who, like Jacob, had been wrestling with God. We quickly fell back into friendship, which perhaps is the mark of good friendship.

We all have aspirations in our youth — for the kind of spouse or parent we might be, for what we might accomplish, for what we might experience. Along the way, dreams are satisfied, modified, or they die on the vine. The clock inevitably works against all of us. That night in Oceanside, California, Jarrod, a numbers guy, saw that time was not on his side. He believed, as we all would, that he still had more to give, more impact to be made, and more things to see and experience.

After that trip, Jarrod and I stayed in touch, most frequently triggered by news of his cancer. It has been mostly the bad variety in recent months. Now spread throughout his body, down to his bones, he has lived in constant pain for months. Not even a steady diet of morphine and an implanted pain pump solve for it. Jarrod’s been hospitalized twelve times just in 2023.

But his matter of fact sense of humor and way of seeing the world remains in tact. So too does his faith that despite these trials, he has always been safe in the hands of Christ.

There are people in the world who believe that life is random, disordered, and without reason. I am not among them. I think my friend is staring mortality in the face at Christmas for a reason.

For thousands of years before Christ came, there was darkness and despair. Sin and shame gripped the hearts of men. Until one holy night, God, in His infinite love, mercy and wisdom, sent His son to save. Jesus is the light of the world and the hope of man. He has won victory over death and Jarrod’s will not be the exception. Jesus came for Jarrod, and for you.

For thousands of years since Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection, His disciples have been used as divine instruments to point the way to God. Jarrod is among them. If life expectancies were the measure, Jarrod would be at the midway point for most people. He’s made a lifetime of impact for the Kingdom and on other people.

So, to my friend Jarrod, you were placed here with a purpose. You have run your race. You are loved. And when this chapter closes, you will hear “well done, my good and faithful servant.” There is no greater evidence of a life well lived.

While Jarrod and Emily have been fortunate to have health insurance, their portion of the medical bills so far in 2023 have eclipsed $30,000, and Emily is facing additional uncovered expenses during Jarrod’s hospice care, including a night nurse that costs over $400 a night. If you would like to help defray the cost, a contribution can be made at their Go Fund Me page.

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Title: Staring mortality in the face at Christmas
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Published Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:05:22 +0000

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Magnolia Mornings: December 15, 2023

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11 months ago

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December 15, 2023

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Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.

In Mississippi

1. Laurin St. Pe’ named CEO of Singing River Health System

Laurin St. Pe

The Board of Trustees of Singing River Health System announced the immediate appointment of Laurin St. Pe’ as the Chief Executive Officer on Thursday.

“We are thrilled to announce Laurin St. Pe as the new CEO of Singing River,” said Steve Ates, Board President in a statement. “His wealth of healthcare experience and proven track record make him the ideal leader to steer our health system toward its next phase of growth and success.”

St. Pe’, who has been serving as Interim CEO since July 2023, said he is honored to assume the role of CEO at Singing River. He has worked at Singing River as Administrator of Singing River Health System’s Pascagoula Hospital and Gulfport Hospital, in addition to overseeing program service lines throughout the entire system to his subsequent appointment as Chief Operating Officer of Singing River.

The health system says St. Pe played a crucial role in the financial revitalization of Singing River Health System while steering the organization toward financial stability.

2. Gulfport-Biloxi airport, Stennis evacuated after threats

The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport was evacuated on Thursday morning “out of an abundance of caution,” airport officials said, after receiving an emailed threat to certain transportation entities across the state.

The airport was thoroughly security swept, cleared and reopened in just over two hours. Gulfport-Biloxi is now operating regularly.

The threat was also sent to Stennis International Airport. Their staff and personnel were also evacuated until the facilities could be swept and cleared.

Any passenger whose travel was affected by the evacuation is encouraged to contact their respective air carrier.

3. Cassidy arrested in Iowa for beheading Satanic Temple statue

Former Mississippi congressional and legislative candidate Michael Cassidy was arrested this week in Iowa for beheading a statue at the state’s Capitol erected by The Satanic Temple.

Cassidy reportedly decapitated the statue and turned himself to police on Thursday. He was charged with fourth degree criminal mischief. He then started an online legal defense fund where he’s raised upwards of $20,000 as of Thursday night, according to his X account.

4. “Serial fraudster” ordered to cease offering investments into companies

According to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office, on October 26, 2023, Secretary Michael Watson and the Securities Division issued an order against Stephone N. Patton. The SOS says Patton is a serial fraudster with multiple criminal convictions in Mississippi and Florida.

Through business filings with the SEC and Mississippi, Patton has held himself to be the CEO of various companies, including Star Oil and Gas Company, Inc., North Gulf Energy Corporation, Inc., Patton Oilfield Services, Inc., and Patton Farms, LLC.

The SOS says using these business filings and company websites, Patton claimed to have raised hundreds of billions of dollars through investment opportunities. Through investigative efforts and collaboration with the SEC, the SOS discovered none of Patton’s companies are operational, have any assets, or generate any revenues. Account records show Patton spent investors’ funds almost as soon as he received them on personal expenses. The total amount of known investments made to Patton’s fraudulent companies is over $80,000. Further, none of Patton’s investment offerings have been registered or notice filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office.

The SOS order requires Patton to cease and desist from offering investments with his companies, requiring Patton to permanently deactivate his companies’ websites to prevent any further dissemination of his false or misleading information. Patton is also ordered to pay an administrative penalty of $25,000 to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office for these violations, in addition to restitution owed to all his Mississippi investors.

National News & Foreign Policy

1. Congressional retirements mounting as 2024 election cycle nears

Retirement and departure announcements are piling up ahead of the start to the 2024 election cycle. The New York Times has developed a Retirement Tracker that currently shows 22 Democrats and 11 Republicans who are in Congress now will not be seeking re-election next year.

“Dozens of members of Congress have announced plans to leave their seats in the House of Representatives, setting a rapid pace for congressional departures, with more expected as the 2024 election draws closer,” the NY Times reports. “Given Republicans’ razor-thin House majority, the wave of exits has the potential to lead to a significant shake-up next year.”

You can find the tracker here.

2. Texas, Daily Wire, The Federalist sue U.S. State Department over media censorship

The U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center has come under fire as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton along with The Daily Wire and The Federalist have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the department funded technology that could “render disfavored press outlets unprofitable.” They claim that the department has helped social media – Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) – to censor free speech while funding technologies used to censor right-leaning news outlets such as theirs.

New Civil Liberties Alliance is representing The Daily Wire and The Federalist. Paxton and the outlets claim the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a British think tank, received a $100,000 grant from the State Department in 2021, and NewsGuard, which rates the “misinformation” levels of news outlets, received $25,000 from the State Department in 2020, according to the lawsuit.

According to the State Department’s website, the Global Engagement Center’s mission is to direct, lead, synchronize, integrate, and coordinate U.S. Federal Government efforts to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the policies, security, or stability of the United States, its allies, and partner nations.

As reported by Reuters, the lawsuit cited a GDI-produced list from December 2022 that ranked The Daily Wire and The Federalist as among the 10 “riskiest sites” for news while the least-risky included The New York Times, Associated Press and NPR. Reuters notes that the lawsuit alleges such “blacklists” are reducing revenues to The Daily Wire and The Federalist along with their visibility on social media and ranking results from browser searches.

Sports & Entertainment

1. SEC releases 2024 schedules

Wednesday evening, the Southeastern Conference released the 2024 football schedules for its member schools, including of interest in the Magnolia State the schedules for Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

It is the first schedule that includes new conference members University of Oklahoma and University of Texas, bringing the conference to 16 schools. Each SEC team will play eight conference football games plus at least one required opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12 or major independent, each team will have two open dates.

The 2024 season will be the first year the SEC will play a schedule without divisional competition since 1991. The top two teams in the league standings based on winning percentage will play in the 33rd SEC Football Championship Game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, December 7.

2. White, Jesiolowski, Jones honored by MAIS

John White

The Midsouth Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) in Mississippi, comprised of non-public schools, announced this week that Madison-Ridgeland Academy’s senior quarterback John White was named the 6A Player of the Year while Hartfield’s Reed Jesiolowski and Hartfield Chris Jones were named the MAIS 6A Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.

All three have committed to play college football at the University of Mississippi.

White is Mississippi’s all-time leader in career passing yards with 15,259 yards, a record he broke during the 2023 season.

MAIS, like the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) for public schools, is broken down into classifications, from 1A to 6A. However, MHSAA added a 7A this season.

Markets & Business

1. Consumer retail sales up as energy, gas prices move down

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week that the Consumer Price Index rose 0.1% in November after being unchanged in October. Retail sales rose 0.3% in November after rising 0.2% in October, meaning consumers continue to spend at the start of the holiday season.

The CPI or inflation rate is 3.1%, higher than the Federal Reserve target of 2% but below the 9% peak in 2022 which reached a 40-year high.

As for the energy index, BLS reported that it fell 2.3% in November after decreasing 2.5% in October. The gasoline index decreased 6% in November, following a 5% decrease in the previous month.

The index for fuel oil fell in November, decreasing 2.7%. However, the natural gas index rose 2.8% over the month after rising 1.2% the previous month. The index for electricity also rose 1.4% in November, after increasing 0.3% in October.

The energy index fell 5.4% over the past 12 months. The gasoline index decreased 8.9%, the natural gas index declined 10.4%, and the fuel oil index fell 24.8% over this 12-month span.

2. Week’s market rally continues into Friday

At close of trading on Thursday, the U.S. markets continued the week’s rally, pushing the Dow up 158 points to 37,248 while the Nasdaq and S&P also made gains, 27 points and 12 points, respectively, to close at 14,761 and 4,719.

The record high for the Dow on Thursday moved futures up 102 points.

According to CNBC, the major averages are headed for their seventh straight positive week. As of Thursday, the Dow is higher on the week by 2.8%. The S&P 500 is up by 2.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 2.5% this week.

Stocks rallied after the Federal Reserve left rates unchanged this week while members look towards cuts in the new year and beyond.

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Published Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2023 13:00:00 +0000

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New water rates expected in Jackson come 2024; those who don’t pay face shut off

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11 months ago

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December 15, 2023

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Interim Third-Party Director Ted Henifin said this week that only about 59% of the City of Jackson’s water customers are paying their bills.

JXN Water has announced new rates and fees coming in 2024. Those who are not paying will be at risk of shut offs.

The company, which was established by federal appointed interim Third-Party Director Ted Henifin, has been overseeing the city’s water system for the better part of a year.

Officials estimated that the average cost for water in the city was $76 per month for residents. Henifin clarified that JXN water will not attempt to recoup any charges prior to November 29, 2022, and will work with those who have failed to pay since that time.

He said only about 59 percent of the city’s water customers are paying their bills.

“You can’t forgive bills, so we have to be creative in how we part that,” said Henifin in reference to Mississippi’s laws that prevent giving away water.

According to a release by JXN Water announcing the rate changes, residents in single family households with small meters that use up to 748 gallons daily would see a bill increase of roughly .30 cents per day. Research indicates that the average U.S. family uses 300 gallons per day.

SNAP customers will have a new rate tier that could lower their bill by up to .69 cents per day, on average.

“Those who need to save the most benefit from saving money by drinking tap water. This new rate structure makes water affordability possible for 12,500 JXN Water customers who receive SNAP benefits,” said Henifin in the release.

Read more about the anticipated rate changes here.

New fees will also be implemented, including a new service fee of $50, service deposit of $100, returned check fee of $25, service restoration fee of $100, and meter tampering charge of $500. 

JXN Water has continued to encourage residents to use the water, with Henifin going on the record in a federal status hearing saying that the water “was safe to drink.”

More conversation regarding the billing process is expected to come at next week’s Jackson City Council meeting.

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By: Sarah Ulmer
Title: New water rates expected in Jackson come 2024; those who don’t pay face shut off
Sourced From: magnoliatribune.com/2023/12/15/new-water-rates-expected-in-jackson-come-2024-those-who-dont-pay-face-shut-off/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-water-rates-expected-in-jackson-come-2024-those-who-dont-pay-face-shut-off
Published Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2023 20:00:00 +0000

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