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(CNN) --
To reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in mental health crises, you now only need three digits: 988.
On Saturday, Vibrant Emotional Health, the nonprofit organization that operates the lifeline on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) ., launched the 988 dialing code available to everyone in the United States.
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Until now, the dial code to reach the lifeline has been 1-800-273-TALK, which will remain operational during the current expansion to 988. Text messages can also be sent to the three-digit number.
Veterans can now dial 988 and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.
“One of the goals of 988 is to ensure that people get the help they need when they need it, where they need it.
So when a person calls 988, they can expect to have a conversation with a trained and compassionate crisis counselor who will talk with them about what they are experiencing.
If it is the case that they need additional intervention, then the crisis counselor will likely connect with a local mobile crisis team,” said Dr. Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, administrator of SAMHSA, earlier this month during a call with the journalists.
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“Part of the goal is, where possible, to minimize unnecessary contact or connection with police departments when what a person needs is to connect with a mobile crisis worker or anyone within the mental health and behavioral health care system. ”, he added.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has been in operation since 2005 and is funded by SAMHSA.
In 2020, the five leaders of the US Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously for 988 as the three-digit number Americans can dial to connect to the existing lifeline network of trained counselors.
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That year, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 was signed into law, amending the Communications Act of 1934 to designate 988 as “the universal telephone number for purposes of the national suicide hotline system.” for the prevention of suicide and mental health crises that operates through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and through the Veterans Crisis Line, and for other purposes”.
Since 988 will become an easier number to remember for mental health crises, similar to how people may dial 911 for medical emergencies, there has been growing concern among leading mental health and suicide that 988 call centers may not be ready to handle an anticipated influx of calls.
The call line received 3.6 million calls, chats and texts in 2021, and that number is expected to double in the first full year after the transition to 988, according to SAMHSA.
Bob Gebbia, CEO of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, told CNN that a "big concern is that demand could outstrip capacity very quickly and these centers will be overwhelmed."
“When that happens, calls drop, wait times increase, and people on the other end who are struggling don't get the connection they need,” Gebbia said.
Since the FCC's approval of 988 in 2020, the federal government and Vibrant have been preparing for the nationwide rollout of the three-digit number by awarding grants to states to support call centers and actively trying to recruit more crisis advisers.
Those interested in more information can visit the SAMHSA website.
How to get help
Call 1-800-273-8255 or text "talk" to 741741 (or 988 as of July 16, 2022) in the United States to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Provides free and confidential assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for people in suicidal or distressed crisis. You can learn more about their services here, including their guide on what to do if you spot suicidal signs on social media.
You can also call 1-800-273-8255 to speak with someone about how you can help someone in crisis. Call 1-866-488-7386 for the Trevor Lifeline, a suicide prevention counseling service for the LGBTQ community.
For assistance outside the US, the International Association for Suicide Prevention provides a global directory of resources and international hotlines. You can also turn to Befrienders Worldwide.
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