Sacbee, February 2026
As 988 calls routed to California centers continue to increase, ongoing delays have hindered the state’s ability to build a stronger system to meet the growing demand for behavioral health services.
Shari Sinwelski, Vice President of Crisis Care at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, said that the organization can’t hire additional counselors now because it has reached the limits of its budgets. She said that until more money is allocated to crisis centers, the organization can’t answer every call, text, or chat from people in California.
