By: Aaron Li

There is now a new number to dial for help in the U.S., “988” , which is a newer version of the

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline that is being billed as the “911” of mental health.

The number is prepared to go live on Saturday with $400 million in federal funding backing it up.

It is intended to meet a rising tide of mental illness in the United States.

There are still concerns about the small number of employees not able to face the surge

adequately. Many who called Lifeline recently were disconnected even before they got help.

Xavier Becerra, the secretary of health and human services, applauded efforts to prepare for

988, but also says that “It’s not good enough to get a busy signal or to be put on hold.”

John Draper oversees the Lifeline and is an executive at the nonprofit Vibrant Emotional Health says, “We want to make sure that we are responding to everybody in crisis.”

While the data shows that hotlines resolve around 80 percent of crises without further

intervention, the vision for 988 is that the counselors will eventually be able to connect callers

with mobile crisis teams that can come to where they are, as well as short-term mental health

triage centers.

As 988 is approaching its launch date, the U.S. is prepared for a new era of emergencies that

move beyond just calling 911.