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Our trained specialists are prepared to provide empathetic support for emotional challenges, substance use issues, and life-threatening crises.
Start referring people to 988 today.
Connect with trained specialists.
988’s trained specialists undergo three weeks of training, followed by a week of shadowing and testing to effectively and compassionately support people with emotional, mental health or substance use concerns. Additionally, all 988 trained specialists participate in cultural competency training.
Call 988
When you call 988, you’ll be given three options:
- Press 1 to connect with the Veteran Crisis Hotline
- Press 2 to connect with the Spanish Subnetwork
- Press 3 to connect with the LGBTQIA2S+ youth and Young Adult Subnetwork
- Press 4 If these don’t apply, remain on the line to connect with a local crisis center.
If unavailable, a national crisis center will connect with you and help route you to local resources. You’ll also have the option to talk to a trained specialist or a peer specialist with similar experiences.
Text 988
When you text 988, first, you’ll see a wait-time message while we connect you to a trained specialist. Texting is available in both English and Spanish. When texting 988 in Spanish, you will be asked to type “Ayuda” to connect with a spanish-speaking specialist.
Live Chat 988
Connect with a trained specialist over the internet. The live chat starts with a pre-chat survey that helps your trained specialist know more about you, what you're going through and how they might be able to help. This service is available in English and Spanish through the national 988 Lifeline.