The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced this past Saturday, the U.S. 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has transitioned to 988. This three-digit number, 988 is available for crisis care to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline also links to the Veterans Crisis Line.
“The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, signed into law after the passage of bipartisan legislation in 2020, authorized 988 as a new three-digit number for suicide and mental health crisis. All telephone service and text providers in the U.S. and the five major U.S. territories are required by the FCC to activate 988 no later than July 16.”
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a national network that consists of 200 crisis centers that have supported and helped thousands of people overcome crisis situations every day. This effort is part of a collaborative, three-year joint effort by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make crisis care more accessible to the community.
To learn more about the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, visit 988.org and the Federal Communications Commission’s fact sheet.
Read more blog posts on mental health and well-being from OccHealthSci:
- New mental health resources from American Psychological Association
- Employee well-being during the pandemic
- The future of work and the role of well-being
