9-8-8 LIFELINE NUMBER LAUNCHING NATIONWIDE
Beginning Saturday, July 16, 2022 a new, three-digit line will be available for Americans to quickly and easily reach the National Suicide Hotline and Veteran Crisis Line. While the current phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available, simply dialing 9-8-8 will be able to put those with an urgent mental health need in direct contact with someone who can help. With the new number, veterans and active duty service members will still be prompted to select “1” to be routed to the Veteran Crisis Line.
In 2020, the National Suicide Hotline received close to 2.4 million calls, and now with an easy to remember number like 988, the teams involved hope to reach many more people. What exactly does a call to the 9-8-8 line entail?
A 988 crisis line that is effectively resourced and promoted will be able to:
• Connect a person in a mental health crisis to a trained counselor who can address their immediate needs and help connect them to ongoing care.
• Reduce healthcare spending with more cost-effective early intervention.
• Reduce use of law enforcement, public health, and other safety resources.
• Meet the growing need for crisis intervention at scale.
• Help end stigma toward those seeking or accessing mental healthcare. When you’ve got a police, fire or rescue emergency, you call 911. When you have an urgent mental health need, you’ll call 988.
To learn more, visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org and please do pass this along to those you love who may be in need of support.
