Mayor Bowser Announces Launch of 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

(Washington, DC) – At the moment, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Division of Behavioral Well being (DBH) Director Dr. Barbara J. Bazron, Ph.D. introduced that Washington, DC will be a part of jurisdictions nationwide in launching the three-digit 988 suicide prevention or disaster providers lifeline on July 16, 2022. Starting July 16, anybody experiencing a psychological well being, substance use, or suicidal disaster will be capable of dial 988 and the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline will join people to regionally operated disaster facilities. In calling 988, people can be related to compassionate and accessible care and assist. Household and buddies can even name 988 if they’re fearful a few beloved one who may have disaster assist.

“We’re very targeted on how we join extra residents to psychological well being care, and that’s particularly essential for people who find themselves in disaster. Identical to individuals know 911, now we additionally need individuals to know and use the 988 lifeline,” stated Mayor Bowser. “In calling 988, individuals can get related to skilled disaster counselors and lifesaving providers – any time, day or night time.”

The 988 Suicide and Disaster Lifeline will:

Join individuals experiencing a psychological well being or substance use disaster to a skilled disaster counselor who can handle their fast wants and join them to ongoing care if wanted.

Construct on the District’s initiative to divert sure 911 psychological health-related disaster calls to psychological well being specialists and reduce an automated legislation enforcement response.

Assist finish stigma round psychological sickness and normalize looking for or accessing psychological well being care. The 988 Lifeline helps a psychological well being disaster as a well being disaster with a scientific response so all residents really feel snug reaching out for assist.

“For people in disaster, significantly those that are occupied with suicide, having somebody to name who will hear and supply assist could make a distinction and save lives,” stated Barbara J. Bazron, Ph.D., DBH Director. “The pandemic has affected the psychological well being of all of us ultimately and the 988 Lifeline will give individuals well timed entry to remedy and assist.”

The launch of the 988 Lifeline is one other milestone within the Bowser Administration’s multi-year growth of disaster providers within the District. In 2019, Mayor Bowser established the DBH Group Response Workforce to strengthen cellular disaster response and pre-arrest diversion applications. In 2021, on the Mayor’s course, the District launched a 911 diversion initiative to supply a scientific response to sure psychological health-related disaster calls to 911 moderately than an automated legislation enforcement response. A whole bunch of calls have been diverted safely from 911 to DBH.

Moreover, DBH will proceed to function the 24-hour Psychological Well being Hotline, which could be reached by calling 1-888-793-4357, for anybody who’s feeling anxious or depressed or needs to speak about their psychological well being earlier than it will get to a disaster.

In Fiscal 12 months 2022, Mayor Bowser invested $5.1 million so as to add 14 new workers to the Entry Helpline/Psychological Well being Hotline name heart and 27 new members to the Group Response Workforce. The District additionally obtained a $383,000 federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Providers Administration (SAMHSA) to assist within the rollout of the 988 Lifeline.

The Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline is funded by SAMHSA and has been administered by Vibrant Emotional Well being because it started in 2005. The Lifeline is a nationwide community of over 200 native, impartial disaster facilities geared up to assist individuals in psychological health-related misery or experiencing a suicidal disaster through name, chat, or textual content. The Lifeline offers free and confidential assist to individuals in suicidal disaster or psychological health-related misery 24 hours a day, 7 days every week, throughout the U.S. With the transition to 988, these lifesaving providers can be even simpler to succeed in. Quite a few research have proven that the Lifeline works—most callers are considerably extra more likely to really feel much less depressed, much less suicidal, much less overwhelmed, and extra hopeful after talking to a Lifeline disaster counselor.

In 2020, Congress designated the brand new 988 dialing code to function by way of the present Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s (1-800-273-8255) community of greater than 200 regionally operated and funded disaster facilities throughout the nation. All telephone service suppliers are required to transition to 988 because the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July 16, 2022. DBH has been working with an advisory committee to plan for the implementation of 988 in DC. The advisory committee consists of people with lived expertise, advocates, legislation enforcement, community-based behavioral well being suppliers and consumer-led teams.

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