PSA Wednesday – Open thread
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The 988 national suicide prevention and crisis hotline number celebrated its one year anniversary on July 19. You can read a brief history of the hotline here. For the ultranerds in the audience, here’s the legislation behind 988.
Or you can just keep the number handy in case you or someone else needs it.
One of the great things about 988 is that it provides a three-digit alternative to 911. That you can also access by text anywhere in the nation. And there’s a chat function at 988lifeline.org.
According to the 988 website, the vast majority of contacts – more than 98% – do not result in a referral to 911.
The primary goal of the Lifeline is to provide support for people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress in the moments they most need it and in a manner which is person-centered. The vast majority of those seeking help from the Lifeline do not require any additional interventions at that moment. Currently, fewer than 2% of Lifeline calls require connection to emergency services like 911. While some safety and health issues may warrant a response from law enforcement and/or Emergency Medical Services (namely when a suicide attempt is in progress), the 988 coordinated response is intended to promote stabilization and care in the least restrictive manner.
That means the hotline also saves lives by greatly reducing the chances that a person in crisis will be maimed or murdered by a ruthless, sadistic maniac in a uniform. Followed by the disgusting spectacle of police officers blithely claiming that the victim wanted to “commit suicide by cop.”
Share your own PSAs – or anything else. Within reason. Open thread.
