Over the years, we’ve often found that Facebook copypasta posts often contained misleading information. No so this time!
The United States’ first nationwide three-digit mental health crisis hotline goes live on Saturday. It’s designed to be as easy to remember and use as 911, but instead of a dispatcher sending police, firefighters or paramedics, 988 will connect callers with trained mental health counselors.
The federal government has provided over $280 million to help states create systems that will do much more, including mobile mental health crisis teams that can be sent to people’s homes and emergency mental health centers, similar to urgent care clinics that treat physical aches and pains. “This is one of the most exciting things that has happened” in mental health care, said Dr. Brian Hepburn, a psychiatrist who heads the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors.
Hepburn cautions that when 988 kicks off, it will not be like “the flick of a switch. It’s going to take a number of years in order for us to be able to reach everybody across the country.” Over the years, we’ve often found that Facebook copypasta posts contained misleading information. However, in this case, the posts were completely accurate., in addition to the 988 number, “the previous 1-800-273-TALK number will continue to function indefinitely.”Alonso-Zaldivar, Ricardo. “988 Suicide Phone Hotline Getting $282M to Ease July Launch.”Snopes.comTanner, Lindsey. “New 988 Hotline Is the 911 for Mental Health Emergencies.