Help is only 3 numbers away. As of Saturday, July 16, the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline will go into effect, routing calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255.) Trained counselors will take anonymous calls and texts to the hotline 24/7.

Advocates for the three-digit number say timing is crucial during an emergency as remembering three digits instead of ten can make all the difference, and the time for change is now.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimated calls and texts to the suicide hotline will more than double in 2022 to 7.6 million, up from 3.3 million in 2020.

In response to the mental health crisis, Gov. J.B. Pritzker enacted two mental health bills into law last year. One requires mental health providers to be covered by insurance, and a second bill coordinates 911 and 988 emergency services.

The new 988 number doesn’t only address suicide but all mental health concerns and emotional distress. Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness said, “If someone has been through a traumatic event and is struggling to process it — and there are traumatic events happening throughout this country — this is a place to turn to.”

The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) says the new number provides a “direct connection to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health related distress – whether that is thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress.”

Trained counselors are also available to offer guidance to anyone concerned about someone else in crisis and how they can help. With a suicide every 11 minutes in the U.S., calling 988 is never the wrong call to make.

For more information visit the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline