Photo: SAMHSA 988 Lifeline
In the US, people having a mental health crisis can now call or text 9-8-8 to get help. Modeled after 911, the new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline connects them to a network of more than 200 local crisis call centers around the country. Callers are connected to a trained counselor at the nearest center or, if it is unavailable, to one of 16 backup centers. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's 10-digit number (1-800-273-8255) will remain active, but calls will be routed to 988. The federal government has invested more than $400 million in beefing up crisis centers to support the 988 system after a bipartisan bill to create the number was signed into law in 2020. "The transition to 988 has come to represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revisit and reconceptualize how crisis services are resourced and delivered in communities across the country," says Colleen Carr, director of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention at Education Development Center.
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