Commentary: Will the new 988 hotline be a game changer for mental health or a missed opportunity?
Today, the 911 system is taken for granted. Anyone, virtually anywhere in the United States, should be able to dial three digits during a physical health emergency and expect a fast, local response — sometimes making the difference between life and death.
On July 16, “988” will become the equivalent hotline for mental health emergencies. The launch will occur two years after Congress passed the National Suicide Designation Act of 2020, leaving the particulars of implementation to individual states.
