FCC Proposes 988 for Suicide Prevention & Mental Health Hotline

The Federal Communications Commission started the process of designating 988 as a new, nationwide, 3-digit number for a suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. This designation will help ease access to crisis services, reduce the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health conditions, and ultimately save lives. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposes that calls made to 988 would be directed to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a national network of 163 crisis centers that is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Currently, the Lifeline is available by calling 1- 800-273-TALK and through online chats. In 2018, trained Lifeline counselors answered over 2.2 million calls and over 100,000 online chats. The NPRM proposes requiring that all telecommunications carriers and interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers make, within 18  months, any network changes necessary to ensure that users can dial 988 to reach the Lifeline.