NEW MEXICO – A new three-digit phone number, 988, will make reaching out for help even easier in New Mexico starting July 16, 2022. New Mexico’s Human Services Department and the Behavioral Health Services Divisions is leading the effort to bring the new three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to all New Mexicans. The easier-to-remember 3-digit dialing, along with a focus on more proactive and coordinated care, is expected to help reach significantly more people in need of mental and behavioral health support.
The hiring and training needed to meet that expanded need is well underway at New Mexico’s Statewide Crisis and Access Line (NMCAL.) In continuous operations since 2013, NMCAL will become the call center “hub” of the State’s new expanded crisis response network. Beyond just the easy-to-remember three-digit number, the new system will integrate text, chat, and other technological solutions that are designed to make access easier and help to ensure that people in crisis get the right services at the right time. “While the technology will be important, at its core, this is still a people-first initiative,” says Wendy Linebrink-Allison, NMCAL’s Program Manager. “Having enough trained staff to meet the current and expected demand of the new system will be at the heart of its success,” adds Linebrink-Allison.
With the support and additional funding from the Human Services Department, NMCAL is adding as many as 26 FTE call taking staff to its New Mexico base of nearly 40 employees in preparation for the launch of 988 in July 2022. Opportunities include fulltime Bachelors-level Crisis Counselors at a base of $22 - $24/hour (plus shift differential), Masters-level Crisis Counselors, starting at $26 - $30/hour (plus shift differentials), and Certified Peer Support Specialists, starting at $17 per hour. Positions can be fully remote, or work out of the conveniently located Albuquerque call center. Scheduling options for most positions are varied and flexible across all hours and days, and offer excellent benefits and training.