Imagine that 911 doesn’t exist and a fire breaks out in your home. If you are able to find the number, you might call the fire department directly. But what if they’re not equipped to come to your location and can only put out fires after you bring them to
On Thursday, the FCC voted to formally make 988 the nationwide number for mental health and suicide crisis, adopting rules that require all phone service carriers to start directing 988 calls to the existing SAMHSA-funded National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK | (1-800-273-8255) by July 16, 2022. Ajit Pai, FCC chairman,
Last week, Sue Ann Atkerson, LPC, MBA, CEO of Behavioral Health Link, testified before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee. The hearing, called “Strengthening Communications Networks to Help Americans in Crisis,” included six witnesses who spoke on eight separate bills. Atkerson
After a unanimous vote, the FCC begins the process to formally make 988 the nationwide number for mental health and suicide crisis. The word that comes to mind for many after hearing the decision is parity.
FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, takes a critical step in establishing 988 as the nationwide number for #mentalhealth and suicide emergencies, mirroring what the three-digit-number 911 is for medical crises.
House of Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Chris Stewart (R-UT), Seth Moulton (D-MA), and Greg Gianforte (R-MT) introduced the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act.
Zero Suicide Healthcare & Crisis Now Co-founders Michael F. Hogan, PhD, and David W. Covington, LPC, MBA, wrote a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today urging the agency to use 6-1-1 for mental health and suicide crisis. They state that just as it’s unimaginable 9-1-1 would share its
Letter to the Editor | Becky Stoll says we need a dedicated N11 solely for mental health and suicide crisis. Adding this responsibility to either 211 or 911 would create confusion, unnecessary delays, and inadequate response during people’s most challenging moments. It would also hinder public messaging.
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