He was nervous to call 988. What happened when he picked up the phone?

SALT LAKE CITY — When Jordan Starks struggled with his mental health, he didn't find it easy to ask for help.

"I've always struggled with mental health pretty seriously," he said.

The 32-year-old said those challenges have impacted many parts of his life, including his transition to a transgender man and a personal battle with addiction.

"It kind of took its toll on me," Starks said.

Now celebrating three years sober, Starks said finding support along the way was crucial to his recovery.

One of those resources has been the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Launched nationwide in 2022, 988 provides free, confidential mental health and crisis support 24 hours a day. In Utah, callers are connected with trained crisis workers at Huntsman Mental Health Institute.

The first time someone suggested Starks call 988, he was hesitant.

"I was really scared. I didn't know what to expect," he said.

He picked up the phone anyway.

And what he found on the other end was simple: someone willing to listen.

"It was a great conversation, and at the end of the conversation they had thanked me for calling in," Starks said.

It wouldn't be his last call.

"I've sat in several parking lots and talked to kind people on the phone, and never once have I walked away feeling weaker or ashamed," he said.

During some of his most difficult moments, Starks said the person on the other end has simply stayed with him.

"They'll just say, 'OK, we'll stay here for a minute and breathe with you,'" he said, describing how crisis workers have helped him focus on getting through the immediate moment.

Utah's 988 system took more than 130,000 calls during the last fiscal year, up 14% from the year before.

"People may have various reasons that they might call. There could be issues with just something like loneliness, or that they're struggling with symptoms of anxiety, or that they're having challenges of substance use or other things like that, and 988 can still be an excellent resource," said Dr. Eric Monson, a psychiatrist and medical director of the University of Utah's Zero Suicide Program.

Monson said the goal is to meet callers where they are.

"A phone call to 988 doesn't just mean that you're automatically going to get taken off to a hospital against your will or something like that," he said. "They are there to support. They're there to help."

Depending on what kind of support someone needs, 988 can also connect callers with other resources, including the Utah Warm Line, which provides peer support.

If someone needs in-person help, 988 can connect callers with a Mobile Crisis Outreach Team. They can respond in person, assess the situation and help determine what level of care is needed.

For Starks, there are still good days and bad days. He keeps a physical reminder close.

"I always keep this coin in my wallet," he said.

It's a "Promise to Live" coin with 988 printed on it.

And he collects extras and hands them out to people he meets through his nonprofit and community work.

"I think the most undervalued gift we can give as human beings is an act of kindness and grace, and I think when we understand that as human beings, it's a powerful thing," he said. "The simplest act of kindness has truly saved my life on several occasions."

Help through 988 is free and confidential, with crisis counselors available 24 hours a day by call, text or chat.

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