Iowa State University Police Department is emphasizing the importance of mental health through the addition of the national suicide hotline number to the back of all marked cars.
“If our brain health is just as important as everything else, why not advertise that on our police cars?” ISUPD Chief Michael Newton said.
On July 16, 2022, the Lifeline transitioned away from the 10-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and moved towards a three-digit 988 Lifeline. This change was funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and administered by Vibrant Emotional Health, according to the hotline’s website.
“I think people still don’t know that 988 exists and that it’s a good way to get mental health resources,” Newton said. “We did all of our marked police cars and all the cars our public safety officers drive as well, just so we can have more spotlight and make sure that people know what 988 is, and it’s an option.”
According to the department, this project has been in the works since 988 first came out. The goal is to educate the public, especially students, about the resources that are available to them. Along with the addition of the number on the back of all vehicles, ISUPD has also added a 988 button on the Iowa State Safe app.
Through the monthly reports, it is becoming obvious that mental health calls have continued to increase over the years.
“It still seems like people don’t know that [988] exists and that it’s there, and so hopefully by seeing them in our police cars, they go, ‘Oh, I need to look into that. What does that mean? What is it about?’ It was Suicide Prevention Month, so it was the perfect time,” Newton said.
The department hopes through this project they can fight the stigma around calling for mental health.
“I love that it’s on there; I think it’s amazing,” Mental Health Advocate Supervisor Kinsey Hauser said. “I think it’s really neat that everyone is able to see both the 911 and 988 numbers and that it’s taken as seriously as 911. It’s phenomenal to have that as a resource.”
ISUPD has always emphasized mental health and wants students to be aware of the resources available if they need mental health assistance, according to their mental health advocates on staff. The department has two full-time advocates, Hauser and April Chavira.
Hauser and Chavira are the ones to respond to calls with officers for welfare checks. However, one of their main goals is connecting students in need to the resources that can help them through whatever they are going through, whether that means connecting them to student counseling, student health, student assistants or other offices on campus.
