By: Tom Cloyd (Published: 2025-05-23; reviewed: 2025-05-23:1111 Pacific Time (USA))
An excellent nationally coordinated resource is available, if you have a phone:
988 Lifeline - call or text “988”
When you call you will be “…connected to trained crisis counselors who are part of the existing 988 Lifeline network, made up of over 200 local crisis centers. These crisis counselors are trained to provide free and confidential emotional support and crisis counseling to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress and connect them to resources. These services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, across the United States.”
Lifeline services are available in Spanish, along with interpretation services in several other languages. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, and TTY users, use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.
“Callers who follow the “press 1” prompt are connected to the Veterans Crisis Line. A Spanish Language line is available by pressing 2, and more than 240 languages are supported through a Tele-Interpreters service. Callers now also have the option of following a “press 3” prompt to be connected to a crisis counselor specifically trained in supporting LGBTQI+ callers.”
“Numerous studies have shown that callers feel less suicidal, less depressed, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful after speaking with a 988 Lifeline crisis counselor.”
Interested in volunteering to work in this service? Or perhaps becoming a paid employee? - See https://988lifeline.org/careers.
(For more information, see the 988Lifeline website.)
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