425: This group handled 53 suicide calls a day in North Dakota and western Minnesota in 2022

Do you know with FirstLink was?

If you'd asked me that question before our interview on this episode of Plain Talk with Jennifer Illich, the executive director of the group, my answer would have been...sort of? I knew FirstLink existed. I knew it handled calls from people in distress. I mostly thought of it as a suicide hotline.

What I learned during our interview is that this group is doing profound work. In 2022, they handled 85,681 contacts to their 211 and 988 hotlines from people in crisis in various ways, from needing to be connected with assistance programs because they can't pay their heating bill to people who need emergency intervention because they're on the verge of suicide.

That's an average of 234 calls per day. Astoundingly, they handled almost 54 calls per day just relating to suicide.

FirstLink got a big boost in funding from the North Dakota legislature this year, and it's money well spent, not just because of the work the organization is already doing, but also the work they will be doing. One of the new initiatives Illich told me they're working on is coordinating with the 911 call centers to transfer calls about suicide to them.

Currently 911 operators almost always dispatch law enforcement to these calls, but many times that's not necessary or even helpful. The folks at FirstLink are trained to handle those calls and can take work off the backs of law enforcement officials who can then use those resources elsewhere.

As you listen to our interview, remember that if you need help, whether it's with thoughts of suicide, or financial problems, or employment problems, you can call or text 211 or 988 (it doesn't matter which) and get help.

Also on this episode, we talk about some rank hypocrisy with broadband funding in North Dakota, as well as Gov. Doug Burgum qualifying for the RNC's first presidential debate in August.