07/15/2022
Beginning July 16, 2022, dialing “988” will route calls to the National Su***de Prevention Lifeline.
On July 16, 2022, dialing 9-8-8 will connect anyone in need to a 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline Contact Center staffed by highly trained Crisis Counselors prepared to help navigate any mental health concern. The implementation of 988 means people experiencing any crisis or mental health distress are only a 3-digit dial away from receiving the help they need.
HOW IT WORKS Nationwide, phone calls to 988 will be routed by the caller’s area-code and prefix to a local Lifeline Contact Center. Kansans are served by three Lifeline Contact Centers, COMCARE of Sedgwick County, Johnson County Mental Health Center, and Kansas Su***de Prevention HQ. All Contact Centers provide quality services aligned to best-practice clinical recommendations approved by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
This link provides you the history of the FCC’s rule making and timeline.
On July 16, 2020, the FCC adopted rules to establish 988 as the new, nationwide, 3-digit phone number for Americans in crisis to connect with su***de prevention and mental health crisis counselors.
