Meet 988, the New 911 for Mental Health Issues

From my friends at Nice News:

A new alternative for 911 — 988 — is set to roll out in the U.S. next month in an effort to better address mental health emergencies. “When you get on the line with someone who is trained as a professional counselor, they are able to help instill hope,” Dale Adair, chief psychiatric officer at the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “The person taking the call is able to help the person develop a safety plan.”

The hotline will route to the already existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is currently at 1-800-273-8255. Officials hope that the easier-to-remember 988 will prompt more people to reach out for help when they need it. “988 is one of the biggest things that has happened in the mental health system in a long, long time,” said Christine Michaels, who works for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The number launches nationwide on July 16.

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