Didi Hirsch Celebrates One Year Anniversary of 988

July 16th marked the one-year anniversary of 988, the easy to remember number that connects individuals in crisis to a highly trained counselor via call, chat or text. As the home to the nation’s first suicide prevention center and the leader for 988 in California, Didi Hirsch has been on the forefront of suicide prevention care for decades.

To mark this moment, Didi Hirsch planned and participated in several activities to raise awareness for this important service and share the success of 988 in California. 

Virtual Press Conference and Media Event On Tuesday, July 11th Didi Hirsch hosted a virtual press conference in collaboration with our state, county, and California crisis center partners. During the presentation, we revealed new data on the success of 988 in California. We also issued a press release and secured several interviews with local and state media. 

National 988 Anniversary Media Event

In addition to celebrating locally, Didi Hirsch was invited to serve as the sole representative from the 200+ crisis centers across the country at a roundtable and media event hosted by Sec. Becerra in New York City on Thursday, July 13. Bilingual program coordinator Alejandra Vargas and VP of Crisis Care Shari Sinwelski will represent Didi Hirsch at this important event. Watch the livestream here!

Conversation with HHS Regional Director Jeffrey Reynoso, DrPH

We also welcomed HHS Regional Director Dr. Jeffrey Reynoso to our Suicide Prevention Center on Thursday, July 20th for a roundtable discussion with our bilingual counselors and program coordinators. They had a productive conversation about mental health in the Hispanic and Latino community and discussed how services could be improved. La Opinion covered the event – read the article here.