EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — This week marks the one-year anniversary of the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline.

The mental health resource has already become critical, especially in California, where dedicated workers answered nearly 300,000 calls and texts — the most in the nation. 

On Thursday, Xavier Becerra, the first Latino to hold the position of secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, announced that the 988 lifeline will now offer texts and chat services in Spanish because of the growing demand for culturally responsive services.