Wireless Calls to 988 Get a More Localized Response with Georouting

The process to route cell phone calls to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline based on the caller’s approximate location, versus by area code, has started; FCC to vote next month on a final rule that would require all U.S. wireless carriers to implement georouting with specific timelines

Note to editors and reporters: B-roll of 988 crisis centers across the country is available for media use, courtesy of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). A 988 Partner Toolkit is also available for media use and sharing.

Today, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline announced that the process to start routing cellular phone calls to 988 contact centers based on the caller’s approximate location, versus by area code - known as “georouting” -- began last week with two major U.S. wireless carriers that combined make up about half of all wireless calls to 988. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the 988 Network Administrator, Vibrant Emotional Health, have been working with all of the major U.S. cell phone carriers for more than a year to improve call routing to 988 so that callers on a cell phone can be connected more locally to centers that are better equipped to provide nearby resources and services.

“The launch of 988 georouting marks a significant leap forward in our nation’s crisis response system,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “With georouting in place, callers will be connected to 988 crisis contact centers closer to where they are, which will help us to more quickly connect people to local services and resources when they need additional on the ground support.”

Building on this latest development, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel today announced that the FCC, which established 988 as the three-digit dialing code for the Lifeline in 2020, will vote on final rules to codify georouting at its Oct. 17 Open Meeting. These new rules, if adopted by a vote from the full commission next month, would require all U.S. wireless carriers to implement georouting. In addition, the rules will also establish an implementation timeline for georouting calls to the 988 Lifeline of 30 days following the effective date of the rule for nationwide wireless providers and 24 months after the effective date of the rule for smaller, non-nationwide providers.

“In times of crisis, every minute matters-especially when seeking help for yourself or a loved one in need of mental health support. There’s a real benefit to connecting with resources available in your own backyard and speaking with those within your own community,” said FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “Georouting means those responding to 988 calls have a lot more knowledge of local resources at their fingertips and are better equipped to get the caller the help they need, where they need it. Through our vote next month, the FCC is committed to making sure that everyone can connect to these local resources.”

HHS has invested nearly $1.5 billion into strengthening 988 as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s comprehensive strategy to address the nation’s mental health and substance use crises. Since 988’s launch in July 2022, trained counselors have answered more than 10 million calls, texts, and chats from people looking for help with suicidal thoughts and mental health and substance use-related crises. 

“The goal of 988 is to help people in a mental health or substance use crisis get 24/7 access to compassionate, nonjudgmental help,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and leader of SAMHSA Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D. “Connecting callers to local centers that can share information about their community’s services and resources helps to elevate that quality of care.”

More than 200 contact centers across the country provide support through the 988 Lifeline network. Georouting connects cell phone callers to the closest 988 contact center to the caller’s physical location. Georouting differs from geolocation in that it does not provide a precise location of the caller, allowing callers to maintain their location privacy. Studies have shown that after speaking with a trained crisis counselor, most callers feel more hopeful and less depressed, suicidal and overwhelmed.

The 988 Lifeline is a critical part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to transform mental health care in the United States as part of the President’s Unity Agenda. 988 provides specialized counseling for Veterans, Spanish speakers, LGBTQI+ youth, and people who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing; these services will continue to route to national service providers. Anyone who is struggling with mental health or substance use issues, or is concerned about a loved one, can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to receive support from trained, compassionate counselors, 24/7.

SAMHSA’s 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 5% of adults - about 12.8 million people - had serious thoughts of suicide, 1.4%, or 3.7 million made a suicide plan, and 0.6%, or 1.5 million, attempted suicide in the past year; and 12.3% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 - 3.2 million -- had serious thoughts of suicide, 5.6% made a suicide plan, and 3.3% attempted suicide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 49,000 people in the U.S. died by suicide in 2022, one death every 11 minutes.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov. If you are ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly to FindTreatment.gov or call 800-662-HELP (4357).