

territories-American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and U.S.

As a result, covered phone service and text providers in the United States and the five major U.S. Recognizing the need to better support at-risk communities in crisis, including youth and individuals with disabilities, the FCC adopted additional rules in November 2021 to expand access to this critical service by establishing the ability to also text 988. On October 17, 2020, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 was signed into law, incorporating 988 into statute as the new Lifeline and Veterans Crisis Line phone number.
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On July 16, 2020, the FCC adopted rules to establish 988 as the nationwide, easy-to-remember 3-digit dialing code for people in crisis to connect with suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors. In a report to Congress in August 2019, Federal Communications Commission staff first proposed 988 as the nationwide, easy-to-remember, 3-digit dialing code for individuals in crisis to connect to suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

The FCC also held a 988 Geolocation Forum in May 2022 and the agency is actively analyzing the information gathered during that forum, including whether potential routing improvements could help callers to 988 connect to the regional call centers where they are located without sharing geolocation information. Within that report, the FCC recommended that Congress require that a multi-stakeholder group be convened to further examine the key issues and collaborate on potential next steps. As part of the 2020 Designation Act, the Federal Communications Commission submitted a report examining the feasibility and cost of providing more precise location information than area code with a 988 call. For example, when a caller located in Virginia with a 703 area code calls 988, the Lifeline will route the call to a Virginia Lifeline call center regardless of the caller’s location.Ĭall routing and geolocation are related location issues but involve different technical, legal, privacy, and cost considerations. The Lifeline automatically routes calls by area code to the nearest crisis center. A caller’s location information is not transmitted with a 988 call for possible dispatch of emergency services. Geolocation services are not currently enabled for 988, as they are for calls to 911. To learn more about the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration's 988 resources and information to help spread the word, visit. Transition to 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Begins July 16 By calling or texting 988, you’ll connect to mental health professionals with the Lifeline network. The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress. These centers are supported by local and state sources as well as the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a national network of more than 200 crisis centers that helps thousands of people overcome crisis situations every day. had one death by suicide about every 11 minutes-and for people aged 10-34 years, suicide is a leading cause of death. There are urgent mental health realities driving the need for crisis service transformation across our country. Too many people experience suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress without the support and care they need.
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A wide variety of social media content is available to download and share on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to help promote the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
