988 mental health crisis hotline launches Saturday
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Starting Saturday, 9-8-8 is the new phone number to dial or text for help during a mental health crisis.
The three digits will be easier to remember compared to the original 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number. The line will connect callers to more than 200 crisis call centers nationwide.
There are 13 crisis call centers in Pennsylvania.
"We hope that using 9-8-8 as a 3-digit immediate access number will be a lot more memorable and will hopefully take some of the stigma, some of the barriers out of reaching out for help for yourself or people you care about," said Dr. Jack Rozel, the medical director at Resolve Crisis Services of UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Resolve Crisis Services of UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital receives 300 to 400 calls daily from Allegheny County residents. Rozel said 10 percent of those calls come from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
There's uncertainty over whether crisis call centers can handle what's expected to be an influx of calls.
"What's going to happen, without a doubt over these coming months, the volumes on that line are going to go up and up and up," Dr. Rozel said.
Resolve Crisis Services has 100 staff members ready to help. Dr. Rozel said the center has been working hard over the last few years to get ready for this milestone for crisis services.
He said Resolve Crisis Services has been looking to hire more staff, though it has been challenging.
"We are facing the same workforce issues that every segment of the American economy is facing right now," he said.
Rozel has waited five years for this day. He was involved in the creation of 9-8-8. He used to be the president of the American Association of Emergency Psychiatry.
"As for what happens tomorrow, next week and week after that, I'm not especially concerned. As we prepare to transform and grow crisis services to meet the very real needs of our community, we do need more resources to meet those needs," he said.
Help is just a short phone call away. Dial or text the new number 24 hours a day, seven days a week for free. The number can be used by anyone who needs support for a suicidal, mental health, behavioral health or substance use crisis.
"We have over 100 incredible staff who are here 24/7, 365 to help all the people in Allegheny County. And we provide that free of charge, by phone, mobile, walk-in, residential, and we are just a short call away. ... Our hope is to help people find a new pathway and find a new stage of hope in their life," Dr. Rozel said.
According to CDC data, Pennsylvania's suicide rate in 2020 was 12.6 per 100,000 people, which is below the national average of 13.5. CDC data shows that 1,694 residents died by suicide in 2020.
Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the U.S., with numbers drastically increasing over the past two years, according to the CDC. In 2020, the last year where data is available, the CDC reported two times as many suicides in the U.S. than homicides.
The existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number (1-800-273-8255) will continue to work.