Wisconsin’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is serving a growing number of residents, but advocates say the state has not secured funding to maintain the service beyond the end of 2027. Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin operates Wisconsin’s round-the-clock 988 call center, responding to calls, text messages and online chats from people experiencing mental health or emotional crises. Advocates say keeping those contacts within Wisconsin is important because in-state operators can quickly connect callers with county crisis teams and other local services. They also say a strong 988 system can offer an alternative to relying on 911 or law enforcement during a behavioral health emergency. “Calling 911 is not the same for somebody in a mental health crisis,” said Mary Kay Battaglia, executive director of NAMI Wisconsin. The organization is urging lawmakers to establish a permanent funding source in the next state budget. Battaglia said funding is needed to preserve staff training and maintain enough qualified providers to answer calls. If Wisconsin centers cannot keep pace with demand, a larger share of contacts could be sent to crisis centers in other states. Federal funding alone is not expected to support the system at full capacity once the state’s current funding expires, advocates said. Wisconsin already had the nation’s sixth-lowest in-state answer rate last month, according to 988 Lifeline data. NAMI Wisconsin is encouraging residents to contact their state legislators about long-term funding. Advocates point to other states that support 988 through cellphone fees or general state revenue, rather than relying only on temporary appropriations or federal dollars. For Wisconsin residents in crisis, 988 is available by phone, text and online chat. The debate over how to pay for the service will shape whether those contacts continue to be answered locally as demand grows.