The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced May 12 that the new National Suicide Prevention Hotline will go live July 16. The current number, 1.800.273.8255, will transition to 988 on all devices.
In preparation for this transition, SAMHSA seeks new volunteers, employees, interns, and managers to answer phone calls, chats, and texts from people in crisis. SAMHSA has created a partner toolkit with key messaging, branding, and other resources for stakeholders to spread the word about the new number. Further, the Federal Communications Commission will host an online forum on May 24, from 9:30 am to 4 pm ET, on geolocation challenges and opportunities related to 988.
Contact Senior Director of Policy Erin O’Malley at eomalley@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
