988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
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Learn more about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or contact 988
988 overview
- The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is confidential, free, and available 24/7/365, connecting those experiencing a mental health, substance use, or suicidal crisis with trained crisis counselors. Those who are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support can also dial 988.
- Access to the 988 Lifeline crisis centers is available through every land line, cell phone, and voice-over internet devices in the United States.
- Live 988 services are available in English and Spanish and use Language Line Solutions to provide translation services in over 250 additional languages.
- Text and chat functions are currently available in English only.
- The 988 dialing code is available for call, text, and chat as of July 16, 2022. The original ten-digit number, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), is still active along with 988.
- The nationwide implementation of the 988 three-digit call, text, and chat line is just the first important step in re-imagining crisis support in the U.S.
- Washington’s Native and Strong Lifeline is now live –the first program of its kind in the nation dedicated to serving American Indian and Alaska Native people. Operated by Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOA), one of our state’s three 988 crisis centers, this line is available for people who call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and is specifically for Washington’s American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Calls are answered by Native crisis counselors who are tribal members and descendants closely tied to their communities. Read the Department of Health (DOH) press release.
- For additional resources, please see NativeAndStrong.org and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
What happens when you dial 988?
- When you dial 988, you will be connected to a 988 Lifeline crisis call center.
- You can call, text, or chat 988 on your cell phone, land line, or voice-over internet devices.
- The original 10-digit number is still active. You can dial either 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988.
- People contacting 988 are not required to provide any personal data to receive services. Calls may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance or training purposes. The network system has several safeguards to address concerns about privacy.
- There are no changes to dispatch for Designated Crisis Responders and mobile crisis response teams or the functions of any other regional crisis service.
- The 988 Lifeline crisis centers will continue to operate according to national standards and will connect with 911 services and regional crisis services as usual.
- Learn more about calling 988.
988 resources
- Georouting of calls to 988
- Georouting of calls to 988 for tribal partners
- 988 fast facts
- 988 fast facts (Spanish)
- What happens when you dial 988
- What happens when you dial 988 (Spanish)
- Native and Strong Lifeline
- Native and Strong Lifeline (Spanish)
988 implementation in Washington state
- In Washington, the legislature passed HB 1477 (E2SHB 1477), the Crisis Call Center Hubs and Crisis Services Act, to enhance and expand behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services for all people in Washington State.
- This bill established the Crisis Response improvement Strategy (CRIS) committee, which developed recommendations to support implementation of the work in the bill.
Washington has three 988 Lifeline crisis centers that answer calls from around the state.
- Volunteers of America of Western Washington
- Frontier Behavioral Health
- Crisis Connections
Your call will be directed to one of these crisis call centers based on your location. Calls are routed by area code.
988 resources
- SAMHSA 988 key messages
- SAMHSA 988 Partner Toolkit
- FCC resources
- 988 next day appointment referral tool