WE DEMAND MORE FUNDING FOR 988 FOR MENTAL HEALTH
WE DEMAND MORE FUNDING FOR 988 FOR MENTAL HEALTH
We need more funding for the 988 mental health and suicide crisis response system.
In July 2022, people across the nation experiencing a suicide or mental health crisis will be able to dial just three digits – 988 – to be routed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a 24/7 toll-free crisis line that provides immediate care and resources to millions of callers every year. When 988 becomes available nationwide, help for those in crisis will be easier to access than ever. However, call volume to the Lifeline and local call centers will only increase, overwhelming the current infrastructure. READ MORE+
It is essential that local crisis centers have appropriate funding and staffing to provide consistent, rapid, and effective support to callers. AFSP is calling on all federal and state legislators to put sustainable funding in place from multiple sources to support statewide suicide and mental health crisis response systems. (Please note: until July 16, 2022, we should continue to dial 1-800-273-8255 to reach the Lifeline.)
Below are several bills that AFSP supports:
This bill would enable communities across the country to build out and enhance care across the crisis care continuum, by setting standards for health care providers when responding to behavioral health crises, expanding behavioral health care coverage through health insurance, and directing HHS and DOJ to revise recommendations for emergency services dispatchers and crisis call center personnel when responding to a behavioral health crisis. (S.1902/H.R.5611)
This bill would provide vital federal investments to fund the launch of the new 988 hotline including building out infrastructure of 24/7 call centers, mobile crisis teams, and crisis stabilization facilities, establishing a Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office to serve as a federal resource to support and coordinate efforts to expand crisis services across the country, and supporting the behavioral health workforce. (H.R.7116)
This bill has passed the House and would require the CDC to develop, implement, and evaluate a national media campaign focused on suicide prevention to raise awareness about 988 services. (H.R.2862)
This bill would strengthen and expand the Lifeline’s services and capacity in terms of supporting SAMHSA in creating a plan for ensuring high quality service, strengthening data-sharing agreements with CDC, and implementing a pilot program on using different communications platforms, such as social media, for suicide prevention. (S.2425/H.R.2981)
Learn more about AFSP’s stance on crisis lines and response systems here.
DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT
DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT
You can personally play an important role in demanding #MoreForMentalHealth, and championing more funding for the 988 mental health and suicide crisis response system. Bring this and other mental health topics up when talking with others in your community, or share a message or one of our images on social media – you can even use our custom graphic tool to personalize it! – to spark an important conversation, and encourage your friends, family, and coworkers to help spread the word.
AFSP has local chapters in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, working to educate and provide support and resources to those around them. Visit your local chapter to find out what’s planned in your community, and join the raised voices of thousands of volunteers and advocates to demand #MoreForMentalHealth.
It’s easier than you think to become a mental health and suicide prevention advocate. Visit AFSP’s Action Center to learn more about the federal bills AFSP supports related to funding for the 988 mental health and suicide crisis response system. While you’re there, be sure to stay in the know by signing up to become an AFSP mental health and suicide prevention advocate, and join 40,000+ other passionate advocates dedicated to changing the culture around mental health.
Suicide Prevention Advocate Perspectives: Why the New 988 Crisis Number Matters
By Stephanie Marburger, AFSP Public Policy Coordinator
Starting in July 2022, people across the nation experiencing a suicide or mental health crisis will be able to dial just three digits – 988 – to be routed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a 24/7 toll-free crisis line that provides immediate care and resources to millions of callers every year.
