Starting Saturday, people experiencing mental health crises need to remember just three numbers to dial for help: 988.
The new federal number — debuting in California and across the country this weekend — is billed as an alternative to 911 for people experiencing mental health emergencies. Here, advocates say the shortcut will make it simpler for people in crisis to tap into the state’s network of 13 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline call centers.In October 2020, then President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan bill to establish 988 as a national number.
Compared with many other states, California appears to be in relatively good shape to receive an influx of new callers as news of 988 spreads, according to some mental health leaders. Having in-state response is important because local call centers are more familiar with available resources than national call centers that receive calls if no one is available locally.
But he worries about what comes after that. What happens if a suicidal caller requires immediate in-person mental health supports in a place that has none? What if they’re in a remote, rural location? Or snowbound? Some, like Porteus, suggest a regional approach may help. But that strategy has limitations, too, says Phebe Bell, behavioral health director of Nevada County, which stretches from the foothills near Sacramento to the Nevada border. If her county is lumped together with other counties and the closest mobile crisis team is based 90 miles away, it will be hard for them to respond fast enough, she said.
Last year, the bill faced opposition from the telecommunications industry and was tabled. Months of negotiations between industry representatives and the author and sponsor this spring ultimately led to a significant reduction in the fee cap — reducing it from 80 cents originally to 30 cents in the current bill. The industry has now dropped its opposition.
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