3 New Numbers to Help
The Federal Communications Commission will formally designate the number 9-8-8 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Hotline next month. Currently, that number is reached by dialing 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Tuesday in a press release that “988 will save lives. Helping Americans in crisis connect to counselors trained in suicide prevention is one of the most important things we can do at the FCC,” “We believe that 988 — which has an echo of the 911 number we all know as an emergency number — will help people access mental health services.”
This new number will take two years to implement and apply to all telecommunications carriers as well as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers. Telecom providers pushed for more time to implement the new number, but the FCC rejected this request and pushed for this shorter timeline.
This is a victory. It doesn’t break the stigma of mental health or curb the rise in anxiety and other disorders due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, but it will help many. The next step is to urge Congress to provide the funding necessary to ensure that 9-8-8 has the resources to adequately staff the hotline so it can help those who call in need of assistance.
The final vote to adopt the new nationwide 9-8-8 number will occur at the July 16 Open Meeting. In the meantime, you can reach the suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).
