Carriers Lead the Way in Establishing Short Code for Suicide Lifeline

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The 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline short code is now widely available for dialing through land lines, cell phones, and voice-over-internet devices in the United States. This new three-digit number makes it easier for people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress to connect with trained mental health counselors in real-time.

Calling and texting to 988 is now available for anyone who may be experiencing mental health-related distress. This feature is now “live” on AT&T, Cellular One, T-Mobile, UScellular, Verizon, and Southern Linc networks. 

“Suicide is a serious public health crisis that impacts people of all ages, so ensuring this service was available for our customers was a priority,” said Narothum Saxena, vice president of technology strategy and architecture at UScellular and executive sponsor of the company’s associate resource group focused on mental health awareness. “By making it easier and faster to access help at critical times, our hope is that those in need take advantage of the mental health support available, and more lives can be saved.”  

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, now called the 988 Crisis and Suicide Lifeline, is a national network of over 200 local, independent crisis centers equipped to help people in mental health-related distress or experiencing a suicidal crisis, via call, chat, or text. The Lifeline provides free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the U.S. Calls to the Lifeline are routed to the nearest crisis center, and there is no cost for dialing the number.

CTIA issued a statement following the announcement, saying it’s “proud of its member companies who have stepped up and partnered with policymakers to deliver this critical service as quickly as possible—and these efforts don’t stop today. As Americans in crisis increasingly rely on 9-8-8, CTIA and its member companies are committed to working with the FCC, led by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, and the Lifeline to enable text-to-988 services.”

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