The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is undergoing a major overhaul. Starting in July, Americans in need of crisis counseling won't have to dial 1-800-273-8255—they'll instead be able to use the much simpler 988. It's the result of legislation signed by Trump in 2020, and in December, $282 million in funding was approved to bolster telephone infrastructure and staffing in crisis call centers across the country, many of which are nonprofits and which are tasked with answering the calls 24 hours a day. Advocates see what the New York Times describes as a "watershed opportunity to recast the delivery of mental health care," and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra promises a “lean, clean, working machine"—eventually. With the relaunch just months away, the current hotline is already struggling to keep up.
About 2 million calls were placed to the 1-800 number last year, and in about about 17% of cases, the call was abandoned before the caller received assistance. Some people indicated to the Times that was because no one took their call. For instance, "a teenager from Mississippi recounted calling three times one night without getting through, and then overdosing." The centers can cost millions to run but generally get a stipend of up to $5,000 from the feds; some also get a grant. Many have tight budgets and use fundraisers to keep operations going. States have been authorized to add a fee on monthly phone bills, as is the case for 911, to generate funding, but some lawmakers are disinclined to tack on a new tax. Still, some 78% of Americans said in an October Ipsos poll that they are willing to pay a monthly 988 fee. (Read the full story for much more.)
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