ATTENTION: Transition to 988 for National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

The WV DHHR received a federal grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in order to prepare for the transition of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline to a new three digit number (988), which will be effective of July 16, 2022. These funds will contribute to WV’s National Suicide Prevention Lifeline call center which will answer calls that come into the Lifeline, this also include the Veterans Crisis Line.

Effective July 16, 2022, the 988 dialing code will replace the current hotline number, 1-800-273-8255. West Virginians in need of help should continue to call this number until July 16, 2022. This Lifeline accepts calls from anyone experiencing suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress.

The state of WV is in the top five states for its National Suicide Prevention Lifeline call center answer rates, answering at least 90% of calls within West Virginia. According to Christina Mullins, Commissioner of DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health, “Roughly 75 to 80 percent of calls help de-escalate and provide support without further crisis intervention needed." According to the National Institute of Mental Health, elder adults make up 12% of the population, BUT they make up 18% of suicides. Men that are 65 and older face the highest overall rates of suicide.

We care about our seniors and West Virginia Senior Legal Aid is dedicated to providing legal assistance that promotes the mental health of every senior. Any senior West Virginian age 60 or over who may need legal advice can call us at 1-800-229-5068 to speak to a lawyer for free.

contributed by Katie McCausley, Public Interest Law Fellow at WVSLA

Mountaineers Aging with Pride: WV Grandparents of LGBTQ Youth

President Biden issued an executive order on June 15, 2022 that promotes LGBTQ+ equality policies. The executive order addresses discriminatory legislative attacks by charging HHS with expanding healthcare for LGBTQ+ patients, creating initiatives to raise awareness about “conversion therapy” and clarifies that it cannot be supported with federal funds, supporting LGBTQ+ children and families through eliminating discriminatory barriers in housing, education, caregiving, and juvenile justice, and other steps promoting equality for the LGBTQ+ community.

The executive order charges the Department of Health and Human Services to launch a new plan to partner with state child welfare agencies to improve outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth in other’s care, increase training for child welfare personnel on best practices for supporting LGBTQ+ youth, and other goals to promote LGBTQ+ youth development.

According to Bonnie Dunn, WV Grandfamilies’ Extension Specialist, West Virginia ranks second in the United States for the percentage of grandparents responsible for their grandchildren, number 1 is Arkansas. There are over 7,000 children in foster care in WV, more and more grandparents are having to step into the parenting role.

A strong bond with grandchildren is important, yet statistics show that older generations still have a harder time accepting LGBTQ+ families. But it's time to be a part of the change, and we at West Virginia Senior Legal Aid are part of that change as well. President Biden’s executive order is one step in a chain of events towards equality. However, there is still a long way to go. Any senior West Virginian age 60 or over can call us at 1-800-229-5068 to speak to a lawyer for free about legal issues with raising your grandchildren, LGBTQ+ discrimination, or any civil legal matter.

You can read more about President Biden’s executive order at the following link:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/15/fact-sheet-president-biden-to-sign-historic-executive-order-advancing-lgbtqi-equality-during-pride-month/

contributed by Katie McCausley, Public Interest Law Fellow at WVSLA.