Coming Saturday, July 16: 988, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline launches this Saturday, July 16. Dialing 988 directs callers to trained National Suicide Prevention Lifeline counselors, opening the door for millions in America to seek the help they need.
Virginia leads the way, one of only four stories with comprehensive 988 legislation enacted to support the program. Virginia was in fact the first state to pass such legislation (allocating a telecom tax to it), to ensure 24/7 access to local crisis call centers, mobile crisis teams, and crisis stabilization options so that 988 callers actually receive the help they need.
(Under the 988 service fee, Virginians with a subscription wireless plan will pay 12 cents monthly, while those using prepaid services will pay 8 cents per retail transaction. For example, a consumer who purchases prepaid wireless services for two phones will pay 16 cents).
Need more? Here’s a webinar, playbook, and additional info from ACEP, and below, you can listen to the ACEP Frontline podcast with Ryan Stanton, MD, FACEP, who speaks with the Lifeline’s executive director John Draper, about the implications of 988 and how it could affect emergency medicine.
