TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A new national three-digit phone number will be available on Saturday, July 16 for those in need of suicide or mental health-related crisis support.
Dialing 988 will patch callers through to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, where they will be connected with counselors who can listen to problems, offer solutions and connect the callers with local resources.
The 988 code for the Lifeline was established in 2005, though not as a nationwide service. In 2020, the National Hotline Designation Act became law, and incorporated 988 as the new Lifeline and Veterans Crisis Line number.
With the upcoming national launch, Lifeline services will be accessible using any cell phone, landline or VOIP device.
Between 2005 -2020, the Lifeline has operated over 200 crisis centers and reports receiving over 20 million calls during that time.
University of Arizona police officer Alvaro Rene Hernandez told KGUN 9 that the types of calls intended for the 988 crisis line aren't necessarily situations where police involvement will be warranted.
In that way, 988 will serve as an alternative to 911.
"Normally when you call 911, police are going to respond," said Hernandez. "And statistics have shown that when police show up to these kind of calls, it can be traumatic to the caller, the person in crisis. And it can lead towards unwanted violence and or death to the subject."
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) cited Tucson's crisis response system as an effective example:
A FY2019 analysis provided by Arizona Complete Health revealed that 80 percent of crisis line calls were resolved without dispatching mobile crisis teams, law enforcement, or emergency medical services.
Of the crisis line calls that resulted in a mobile crisis team being dispatched, 71 percent of face-to-face encounters were resolved without the need for transport to a higher level of care.
Of the calls that resulted in a mobile crisis team or crisis facility encounter, 68 percent did not have a subsequent emergency department visit or hospitalization within 45 days.
SAMHSA reports that in 2020, the U.S. had one death by suicide every 11 minutes, and that suicide is the leading cause of death for people ages 10 - 34.
✨COMING ON JULY 16th ✨
— University of Arizona Police (@UArizonaPolice) July 11, 2022
988 is the new National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number. The Lifeline accepts both calls and texts, with language translations services available over the phone. If you or a loved one is struggling and in need of crisis support please reach out! pic.twitter.com/ucWAsoamyw
SAMHSA's National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care has three main components. Effective response and providing a person to talk to through 988 is the first step, followed by providing in-person response and proving a place that callers can go.
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Anne Simmons is the digital executive producer for KGUN 9. Anne got her start in television while still a student at the University of Arizona. Before joining KGUN, she managed multiple public access television stations in the Bay Area and has worked as a video producer in the non-profit sector. Share your story ideas and important issues with Anne by emailing anne.simmons@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.
