The Department of Health and Human Services on Monday announced a $282 million investment aimed at improving and upgrading the nation’s mental health and crisis care centers.
Much of the new funds, which come from both the Fiscal Year 2022 budget and from the American Rescue Plan, will be used to transition the current 10-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention lifeline into an easy-to-remember, three-digit code.
Come July 16, 2022, the 10-digit number of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – which is currently 800-273-8255 – will switch to the three-digit code 988.
In some areas of the country, the 988 code already connects callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the dialing code will be available nationwide come next summer. According to the lifeline, callers are connected to trained counselors who "will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary."
The new dialing code was approved by Congress in mid-2020 in order to provide the public with “easier access to life-saving services,” according to a statement from HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra released Monday.
“As we continue to confront the impact of the pandemic, investing in this critical tool is key to protecting the health and wellbeing of countless Americans – and saving lives,” Becerra wrote. “Giving the states a tool to prevent suicide and support people in crisis is essential to our HHS mission of protecting the health and wellbeing of everyone in our nation.
“We know that remembering a three-digit number beats a ten-digit number any day, particularly in times of crisis, and I encourage every state to rev up planning to implement 988 for the sake of saving lives,” he added.
Over half of the funds – $177 million – will be used to strengthen already-existing lifeline infrastructure. Some of those updates will include a centralized chat/text response in addition to the call line, increased backup center capacity and a Spanish-language network.
The remaining $105 million will be distributed to local call centers in order to boost staffing and capacity.
The funds come as the United States is experiencing a pandemic-driven mental health crisis, particularly among children and adolescents.
In early December, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a rare public advisory saying young people in America are experiencing an “alarming” and “widespread” mental health crisis and that systemic change is needed to tackle the issue.
“The pandemic era’s unfathomable number of deaths, pervasive sense of fear, economic instability, and forced physical distancing from loved ones, friends, and communities have exacerbated the unprecedented stresses young people already faced,” Murthy wrote, noting that adolescent mental health issues were already on the rise before the coronavirus pandemic took hold.
“It would be a tragedy if we beat back one public health crisis only to allow another to grow in its place,” he added.
Government data indicated the rate of high school students who said they experienced consistent and troubling feelings of sadness or hopelessness increased by 40% between 2009-2019.
The report also noted a “concerning increase in suicidal behaviors” among teens in the same time frame.
According to data from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among young people in the United States. In 2019, one death by suicide occurred nearly every 11 minutes across the country.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis or emotional distress, visit or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741).