Mental Health Interests Renew Push for 988 Use for Suicide Prevention Hotline

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said dual use of 211 would cause user confusion and lead to crisis centers getting more of the information and referral 211 calls, diverting resources from crisis intervention. Not all 211 centers have crisis call capacity and using 988 means clear accountability and responsibility for the system, it said. The National Alliance on Mental Illness also cited possible confusion issues as it said 988 is a better choice than 211. Mental Health America said the FCC needs to guarantee universal access to 988 without dialing delays or coverage gaps, regardless of how long implementation takes. Due to the hurdles to care that minorities and the LGBTQ populations often face, it said there must be specialized training for counselors and establishment of an integrated voice response that routes calls to organizations that specialize in those populations. Crisis Text Line said texting shouldn't be part of the FCC's proposal, but if it is, the agency needs to supplement the record on the big challenges that text-based crisis counseling services face. Adding texting atop the increased call volumes the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is expected to get due to a three-digit option "risks overwhelming the system," it said.