INDIANA – 988 is the phone number to reach the crisis lifeline in the US, which provides free emotional support to people in mental health emergencies.
That’s the phone number to reach the crisis lifeline in the US, which provides free emotional support to people in mental health emergencies. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline connects people in mental health crises to local resources and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The line comprises over 200 local crisis centers nationwide.
Major cell phone carriers are starting to use technology that will route 988 callers and texters to help centers based on their physical location rather than their phone number’s area code, the Department of Health and Human Services announced today. Federal leaders say the change will help get localized resources to those who need them more efficiently and effectively—and ultimately save lives.
Verizon and T-Mobile started rolling out the “geo routing” technology last week. Once these two carriers fully implement the program in the coming months, the change will cover about half of all wireless calls to 988. AT&T also plans to begin the process within the next couple of months.
Before this change, 988 callers were routed to a call center based on their area code rather than physical location.
Next month, the Federal Communications Commission will vote on a rule requiring all US wireless carriers to implement geo routing for 988 calls. If the final rule is adopted, nationwide providers will have 30 days to implement the technology, and smaller providers will have two years to do so.
Information: CNN
