What is 988?
Starting Saturday, 988 will be the new number connecting people to crisis support. It will serve as an easy-to-remember way for people experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health or substance-use crisis to speak, text or chat with a trained counselor.
What happens if I call 988?
Callers will first hear a greeting message while their call is routed to a local crisis center (based on the caller's area code). A trained crisis counselor will answer the phone, listen to the caller, understand how their problem is affecting them, provide support and share resources if needed. If the local crisis center is unable to take the call, the caller will be routed to a national backup crisis center.
What happens if I text 988?
When someone texts to 988, they will get a response from a group of crisis centers that respond to chat and text. This service will expand over the next few years to increase local and state-level responses.
Who can use 988?
The new hotline is for anyone who needs support for a suicidal, mental health and/or substance-use crisis. Anyone can call or text 988, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
