988 will be available in 2 months
We want
every community to have a crisis continuum of care so that any person who dials
988* has someone to talk to, someone to respond and somewhere to go. But
unfortunately, the full system we need to have in place to respond to people in
crisis who call 988 is not available in most communities.
Fortunately,
the 988 Implementation Act, an important, bipartisan legislative
package, would improve mental health crisis services across the country ahead
of the July rollout of 988 and we need your help to make it a reality.
This
legislation would:
- Fund
the launch and infrastructure of the new 988 hotline through support for
regional and local crisis call centers that make sure there’s someone
locally to help when you or someone you know calls 988
- Create
and enhance mobile crisis teams to help communities provide an in-person
mental health crisis response, not a law enforcement response
- Provide
funding to build crisis receiving and stabilization facilities, ensuring
an appropriate, safe place is available to go in a crisis if needed
- Fund
specialized services for underserved populations to make sure people
receive equitable and respectful quality care that is inclusive of
cultural health beliefs and practices
- Ensure
people have access to crisis care by requiring all health insurance plans
to cover crisis services
The 988
Implementation Act is a critical piece of legislation that will help
us realize the potential of 988 to be the resource that truly helps people in
crisis.
Reach out
to your member of Congress today and ask that they co-sponsor this vital piece
of legislation.
*Note:
988 will not be available to everyone until July 16, 2022. In the meantime, if
you or someone you know is in crisis, please continue to contact the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf
and Hard of Hearing: dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255) or the Crisis Text Line by
texting NAMI to 741741.