The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national resource with trained crisis counselors available to help. It was even unanimously agreed upon in government! It’s 24/7, free and confidential. Calling 988, texting 988 or chatting online at www.988lifeline.org will connect the person reaching out to support for any distress related to mental health, substance use or suicide.
You can reach out to 988 yourself if you are the one in crisis or need emotional support, but you can also reach out on behalf of someone else if you are supporting them and want advice on how to navigate the situation.
BY THE NUMBERS
– One in five adults in the U.S. experience a mental illness (NAMI).
– The average delay between onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years (NAMI).
– 98% of those who contact 988 get the necessary help and don’t need additional services at that time (NAMI).
WHY IT MATTERS 988 is a simple number to remember, and it provides access to life-saving services.Help is out there and knowing about this lifeline makes it easier to connect yourself or someone you know to support when needed.
GOOD TO KNOW When you call 988, you have additional options to get support in Spanish or as a veteran. You can contact 988 using a landline, cell phone, or voice-over internet device in the U.S. Besides the phone number or IP address used, you do not need to provide any personal information to receive help from the lifeline. It currently routes calls to local centers based on the area code of the number used. Calls are not traced.
Most calls to 988 do NOT require reaching out to 911 for additional help. That only occurs when the person is at imminent risk of suicide and the crisis counselor cannot de-escalate the situation. If agreed upon, the counselor will call or text back with the person reaching out to check in.
