A new dialing code, 988, will be in place officially on Saturday, July 16 and is available to help individuals who may be considering suicide to reach out for help by phone or text in times of distress and crisis. Calls made to 988 will be directed to the National Service Prevention Lifeline. Numbers for chatting or phoning currently in use as shown below will still be available after 988 begins.
The 988 fact sheet shares the following information for anyone in crisis until and after 988 is implemented:
• Individuals who need help today can find it by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached by calling 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK) and through online chats. Veterans and Service members may reach the Veterans Crisis Line by pressing 1 after dialing, as well as by chatting online at https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ or texting 838255.
• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of more than 200 local- and state-funded crisis centers. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration administers the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, which manages the Veterans Crisis Line. You can learn more about this new national hotline here.