MADISON, Wis. (Gray) – More than 100 students representing over 20 schools across Wisconsin came to the state Capitol Thursday to advocate for increased mental health resources, including continued funding for the state’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
“They’re not afraid to talk about mental health,” Mary Kay Battaglia, the executive director of National Alliance of Mental Illness Wisconsin said. “My young generation, we didn’t talk about it. We stayed in the shadows, and so this is just a wonderful event.”
Audrey Burch, an 18-year-old senior at Stevens Point Area Senior High School, was among those who attended the advocacy day organized by NAMI.
“I was diagnosed with anxiety when I was 12. And then when I was 13, I got diagnosed with major depressive disorder,” Burch said. “But that happened after I was hospitalized two times with suicide ideation.”
Burch said she plans to attend University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the fall to study psychology.
“A big part of my journey here today is how no one should feel like their life is not worth living,” Burch said. “Little 7th grade Audrey would be so proud of who I am today.”
Paige Spors, a senior at Melrose-Mindoro High School in western Wisconsin, said smaller and rural schools face particular challenges when it comes to getting enough mental health resources.
“We’ve had a bunch of different car accidents, which have almost lost the lives of some of our students, and we have had different house fires. And either current students or alumni who have actually committed themselves,” Spors said. “So this has been a very hard thing on our small school district that is super close-knit.”
Spors said students also hope to shift the broader conversation around mental health. “Our big phrase in Melrose-Mindoro is end the stigma,” she said.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, calls to Wisconsin’s 988 line in January jumped 46 percent compared to the same month in 2025.
Battaglia said she wants the lifeline to receive permanent state funding, rather than relying on biennial budget cycles to keep the hotline running.
“We need to find a sustainable funding model for our 988,” Battaglia said.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 at any time for support.
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