Key Changes for 988 on the Way

September 25, 2024

An important change could be coming to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, federal officials announced today.

Leaders from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a plan to route cell phone calls to 988 contact centers based on the caller’s approximate location instead of by area code. This process is known as “georouting.”

“In times of crisis, every minute matters—especially when seeking help for yourself or a loved one in need of mental health support,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.  “There’s a real benefit to connecting with resources available in your own backyard and speaking with those within your own community.”

Here’s what you need to know:

• Rationale:  The change is designed to more quickly connect callers to the services they need in their local area. Two major U.S. wireless carriers representing about half of all wireless calls have started rolling out the change.
• The process:  Next month, the commission will vote on new rules that would require all U.S. wireless carriers to implement georouting to 988.
• Timeline:  The implementation timeline for georouting calls to the 988 Lifeline would be 30 days following the effective date of the rule for nationwide wireless providers.
  • The timeline would be 24 months after the effective date of the rule for smaller, non-nationwide providers.
• By the numbers:  Since 2022, counselors have answered more than 10 million calls, texts, and chats from people looking for help with suicidal thoughts and mental health and substance use-related crises.
• Quotable:  “Georouting means those responding to 988 calls have a lot more knowledge of local resources at their fingertips and are better equipped to get the caller the help they need, where they need it,” Rosenworcel said.

If you or a loved one are experiencing a behavioral health crisis, call or text 988 to contact the Suicide and Crisis Prevention Lifeline. Additional ways to contact the Lifeline via chat or American Sign Language are also available online.

Additional information about the announcement is available online.