Health Secretary Ralph Abraham says Bossier 988 Lifeline Center saves lives every day

Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Ralph Abraham made a special visit to northwestern Louisiana Monday to tour the 988 Lifeline Center in Bossier City.

Abraham's visit recognized the key milestones achieved in mental health services in Louisiana.

"It is Mental Health Awareness Month, but we all know that every day should be mental health awareness month," said Abraham.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one and five U.S. adults live with a mental illness and more than one in five youths (ages 13-18) have or had debilitating mental illness.

The Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling houses the 988 Lifeline Center, which services all of northern Louisiana. Louisiana has two certified lifeline centers, LACG and ViaLink, which is located in southern Louisiana.

988 lifeline provides support for people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

"The people that answer these phones, they are frontline heroes, because they save lives on a daily basis," said Abraham, a doctor.

988 lifeline is a national network of over 200 local, independent crisis centers equipped to help people experiencing a suicidal crisis or mental distress via call, chat or text.

Elizabeth Bryant is a 988 trained crisis specialist.

"We want everybody in the state of Louisiana to know that if they are going through something that they can call 988 and that somebody is going to answer, that they're going to actively listen to them and that they're going to do everything that they can to get them connected to whatever resources are available for them," Bryant said.

"The empathy is there, the compassion is there and even more than that we build on this with research and knowledge about how to be professional," said Don Pledger, LACG Executive Director.

To learn more about LACG 988 Lifeline visit www.helpforgambling.org .

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Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Health Secretary Ralph Abraham says Bossier 988 Lifeline Center saves lives every day