The 9 8 8 is the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a national network of local crisis centers, providing free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Anyone can call 9 8 8, including family and friends of a loved one in crisis, as well as social workers, and other professionals to secure specialized help for their clients.

According to the CDC, more than 50,000 people died by suicide last year in 2023. That’s about one death every 10 minutes, which underscores how critically important it is to make access to care easily accessible. One of the goals of Suicide Prevention Awareness is to have 9 8 8 as identifiable as 9 1 1 during an emergency. Numerous studies have shown that individuals in crisis feel less suicidal, less depressed, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful after speaking with a Lifeline counselor.  

Not all crises require suicide watch, however. In addition to 9 8 8, a national service is available 24 hours a day to text with a crisis counselor on any topic (not including suicide ideation or threats). Individuals can Text HOME to 7 4 1 7 4 1, if someone just wants to talk to a crisis counselor.

Each text is limited to 160 characters. The first two responses to the text will be automated. They tell you that you’re being connected with a Crisis Counselor and invite you to share a bit more. It usually takes less than five minutes to connect you with a Crisis Counselor. Once connected, they’ll introduce themselves, reflect on what you’ve said, and invite you to share at your own pace. They can provide support, but not medical advice. The goal of the conversation is to get you to a calm, safe place. A conversation usually lasts anywhere from 15-45 minutes.

The service also has an online platform that provides shareable reading materials about healthy ways to cope with hard stuff, including: gun violence, emotional abuse, anxiety, loneliness, eating disorders, depression, suicide, and self-harm. All the materials are available in English and Spanish.

You can find more resources related to mental health by selecting the “mental health” option from the dropdown tab on our Social Service “Utilization Library” page.