988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:
The First Step
Anyone in a crisis or emotional distress can contact 988, the nationwide three-digit number for mental health, substance use and suicidal crises, by call, text or chat (988Lifeline.org).
Trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 to provide support, de-escalation and connection to additional resources.
We Can #ReimagineCrisis
988 is just the first step. Every year, millions of mental health or suicidal crisis calls are made to 911 and local crisis lines. But unfortunately, when in-person help is needed, law enforcement — not a mental health professional — is often the only response available. It doesn’t have to be this way.
People in a mental health or suicide crisis deserve a compassionate and effective response. To support people contacting 988, communities across the country are working to build a mental health-focused crisis continuum of care. Together, we can #ReimagineCrisis. To do this, every community needs : someone to talk to (988), someone to respond (mobile crisis teams), and a safe place for help (crisis receiving and stabilization options).
Our Partners
No single organization can #ReimagineCrisis alone. It will take ALL of us.
Your story can help policymakers understand why we must act now to change our mental health crisis system.
“My son deserves the help, we deserve the help that we need to get him back to a productive person in society. He needs mental health care not a jail cell.” – Sonia from Georgia
REIMAGINE: A Week of Action to Reimagine Our National Response to People in Crisis
On November 16-18, 2021, we hosted REIMAGINE: A Week of Action to Reimagine Our National Response to People in Crisis, free virtual events to learn more about our current response to mental health and suicidal crises, how crisis response impacts different communities, how you can help #ReimagineCrisis — and how we can work together to build a better, more equitable crisis system.
988 Day of Visibility
Held on June 16, 2022, the 988 Day of Visibility raised awareness with the public and policymakers about the need to fund not just the 988 call centers, but a full crisis system of care. We pushed for awareness of what a mental health crisis response could be – and how we get there. And you can watch a recording of the June 16th 988 Day of Visibility Virtual Rally highlighting 988’s impending availability and why we need to advocate to #ReimagineCrisis.
Join the movement to build a better, more equitable
mental health crisis system for all of us.
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