Calling 988: what really happens

Counselors work in local, state and territory crisis centers across the country. Every counselor completes the 988 Lifeline’s core clinical training, and each center adds its own training on top.

They are there to listen without judging, help you feel safer and connect you with support near you.

988 helps with thoughts of suicide, but also with mental health and substance use crises, loneliness, stress and other struggles. You don’t need to be at a breaking point to reach out.

You can call, text or chat 988 if you are worried about someone else. Counselors can help you think through what to say and what to do next.

Calls, texts and chats are free. You won’t be asked for payment or insurance information. Your phone company’s standard data or message rates may apply to texts.

Call 911 for a medical emergency, such as a suspected overdose, a serious injury or chest pain, or when someone is about to act on thoughts of suicide.

For almost everything else, including intense distress, 988 is a good first call. If a counselor believes there is an immediate risk to life, they can bring in emergency help.

You don’t need to know what kind of help you want before you reach out. Counselors listen, help you understand what is happening, and share options and resources near you.

If you don’t choose a menu option, your call goes to a local crisis center based on your approximate location or area code. This is called georouting. It does not share your precise location.

If the local center can’t answer in time, your call rolls over to a national backup center, so you still reach someone.

If you don’t want to listen to the options, you can press 0 to bypass the menu.

Once you are past the menu, the average wait to reach a counselor is typically under a minute.

There is no set length for a call. Some people talk for a few minutes and others much longer. You can also end the call whenever you want and reach out again later.

1. Text 988. You get options for a counselor, Spanish (text AYUDA) or the Veterans Crisis Line (text 838255)
2. Reply as prompted to accept the terms of service
3. Answer a short survey so the counselor understands how to help
4. You get a message that you are being connected
5. A counselor says hello, asks if you are safe and listens

1. Go to chat.988lifeline.org
2. Answer a few short questions (under five minutes)
3. Start the chat, which means you accept the terms of service
4. A counselor joins, asks about your safety and works to understand what is going on

Calls are routed by approximate location. Texts and chats are still routed by area code or ZIP code, with location-based routing for texts planned by April 2027.

You are not required to give your name or other personal information. Counselors can see the phone number you call from, or the internet (IP) address for chats.

The organization that runs the Lifeline is a nonprofit and does not sell Lifeline data.

Georouting sends your call to a nearby center without sharing your precise location. Geolocation is not turned on for 988 and is not being actively considered.

In rare emergencies, 911 can ask a phone company for a location lookup.

Calls may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance, and some centers use recordings for training, depending on their own practices.

Only a small percentage of 988 contacts need 911, and many of those happen with the person’s agreement and cooperation.

Counselors contact 911 when there is an immediate risk to someone’s life that can’t be reduced during the conversation. 988 aims to support people in the least restrictive way possible.

Early on, the counselor will ask whether you are safe. They may also ask about thoughts of suicide, what led up to today and who supports you. These questions help them understand, not judge.

Studies of crisis calls found that callers felt most helped when counselors built a real connection, solved problems with them and talked openly about safety.

You can simply say “I don’t know what to say” or “Can you ask me questions?” If talking is too hard, try text or chat instead.

Counselors are people, and not every conversation clicks. If one call didn’t help, you can call, text or chat again and may reach a different counselor. It is okay to say what you need, like “I just want someone to listen.”

The Veterans Crisis Line is part of 988. Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat at veteranscrisisline.net. You don’t need to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care.

Calls, texts and chats are available in Spanish. On a call, press 2. By text, send AYUDA to 988.

Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, hard of hearing and late-deafened people can dial 988 from a videophone to reach counselors who use American Sign Language. Text and chat are other options.

If you prefer a language other than English or Spanish, you can ask for an interpreter. Interpreters are available on calls in more than 240 languages, at no cost.

Crisis Text Line is a separate free, 24/7 service. Text HOME to 741741 in the U.S. to reach a trained volunteer crisis counselor.

• Any health conditions or care they get now
• What they have said or done that worries you
• Whether they are alone, and where they are
• Whether they have talked about suicide or a plan
• Who else could be with them

Some people feel braver with someone beside them. You can offer to dial, start the conversation, then hand over the phone or step away so they can talk privately.

After the call, take a few minutes for yourself. It is okay to reach out to 988 for your own support, too. The guide “Helping someone who may be suicidal” has next steps.

Canada launched its own 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline in November 2023. You can call or text 9-8-8 any time, in English or French.

Calls and texts are routed to a nearby responder by area code. In some places you can choose specialized support for youth or Indigenous communities.

Find A Helpline (findahelpline.com) is a global directory of free, confidential support lines. The International Association for Suicide Prevention points people to it.

A safety plan lists your warning signs, things that calm you, people to contact and professional help. The guide “If you’re having suicidal thoughts” walks through making one.

Mobile crisis teams are mental health workers and peers who meet people where they are, often instead of police. See “Mobile crisis teams & crisis centers”.

FindTreatment.gov, run by SAMHSA, lists mental health and substance use services near you. “Finding mental health care” and “Levels of care & kinds of help” explain the options.