988
Call. Text. Chat.
988 is your always-on, always listening lifeline for behavioral health support. 988 connects you directly to local professionals at the Helpline Center who are trained to assess your condition and provide help, even outside of a crisis. When you call 988, you talk to someone in South Dakota. You talk to someone who cares.
Call 988 for:
Help with mental-health related distress
Suicide crisis or having suicidal thoughts
Help with substance use disorders
Behavioral health resources and treatment options
24/7 emotional support
Help with a loved one’s behavioral health
Specialized Support
When you call 988, veterans, Spanish-speaking individuals or members of the LGBTQIA+ community can receive specialized care.
- • Dial 988, then press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line.
- • Dial 988, then press 2 for a Spanish-speaking crisis counselor. To text with a Spanish-speaking counselor, text AYUDA to 988. Marque 988, luego presione 2 para un consejero de crisis de habla hispana. Para enviar un mensaje de texto con un consejero de habla hispana, env
- • Dial 988, then press 3 for LGBTQI+ people under the age of 25
- LGBTQIA+ people under 25 can access special support by chat or text. You’ll be asked if you want to opt-in before being connected to a counselor.
- • When you are connected to the Helpline Center through 988, language interpretation services are available for over a hundred languages.
Make the Right Call
988 vs 911
988
988 is a lifeline for those in crisis, but it’s also much more. 988 connects you directly to local, trained counselors who can assess your situation and provide you help. It’s free, confidential and available 24/7.
911
911 connects you with emergency dispatchers. Call them only if you have harmed yourself or have immediate plans to harm yourself. If someone is at risk of hurting themselves or others, call 911 immediately.
988 for Support People
988 also provides prevention and crisis resources for loved ones. If you’re concerned about someone in your life but don’t know where to start, call 988. We’re here to help you every step of the way and give you the confidence to start a conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
211 is a non-emergency number for finding community resources, such as food banks and shelters. 911 is currently used for all emergencies, including mental health emergencies. Despite their best efforts, 911 dispatchers usually have not received specific training on how to handle mental health and suicide related calls. That’s where 988 comes in. 988 is a behavioral health crisis number, and calls are handled by trained counselors to assist people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.
Anyone in need of crisis support for themselves or someone else should call 988. 988 is an opportunity to transform our country’s behavioral health crisis system to respond to anyone in need. The Lifeline accepts calls from anyone who is suicidal or in emotional distress, including substance use crisis.
988 is designed to collaborate with 911 centers to assist with mental health calls when necessary. Most of the time, your call will stay with the 988 Helpline Center for behavioral health needs and resources, and for callers who may be suicidal but do not require dispatch. In fact, based on data provided by Lifeline call centers, approximately 98% of answered Lifeline calls do not require an emergency response.
988 will work with 911 for calls requiring an emergency medical response or law enforcement response. Of the 2% of the calls that do require emergency response, over 60% of those calls are ones where the caller agrees that emergency services are needed and collaborates with the Lifeline counselor to receive those services.
Chat (English only) is available through the Lifeline’s website at 988lifeline.org/chat. People seeking chat services are provided a pre-chat survey before connecting with a counselor, who identifies the main area of concern. If there is a wait to chat with a crisis counselor, a wait-time message will appear. Once you are connected, a crisis counselor listens to you, works to understand how your problem is affecting you, provides support, and shares resources that may be helpful.
When someone texts to 988, they are responded to by a group of Lifeline crisis centers that answer both chats and texts. Once you are connected, a crisis counselor listens to you, works to understand how your problem is affecting you, provides support, and shares resources that may be helpful. Currently, texting is available in English only.
Suicide Prevention Resources
