CINCINNATI — Ohio has introduced a new license plate design featuring the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which provides free, confidential mental health support to residents 24/7.
Since its launch in 2022, Ohio's 19 call centers have responded to nearly 538,000 calls, texts and chats, with the majority handled within the state.
We spoke with LeeAnne Cornyn, the director of Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services, who highlighted that the service is available for any type of crisis.
"This is for anyone, you know, the crisis is defined by them. So it can be a mental health challenge, it can be a breakup or financial struggles, or really just life feeling heavy, or it can be a use crisis as well. The reason is really dictated by the caller, and those call takers are there to help de-escalate the situation and connect to the right resources locally," Cornyn said.
Proceeds from the sale of these license plates will support suicide prevention programs through the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.
See more about the new Ohio license featuring the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the video player below:
Earlier this year, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 163, officially establishing the new plate design.
The 988 license plates are now available at BMV offices and online at bmv.ohio.gov.
