National Council Statement on 988’s Two-Year Anniversary

WASHINGTON, DC (July 12, 2024) — National Council for Mental Wellbeing President and CEO Chuck Ingoglia today made the following statement on the upcoming two-year anniversary of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.  

“In the two years since 988 became available in 2022, untold numbers of lives have already been saved. More than 10 million people have contacted the 988 Lifeline through calls, chats and texts since the transition to the new service.  
 
“Still, we have just barely scratched the surface of its promise and potential. Building the ideal crisis care system doesn’t happen overnight — just as the 911 system has become ubiquitous in the United States over decades of improvements and efforts to expand capacity, 988 will become more effective and increasingly impactful as it matures.  

“Indeed, the 988 Lifeline is much more than a crisis line. Calling 988 opens a portal to community resources that help people navigate an immediate crisis while providing someone to respond, a safe place for help, and options for quality, ongoing care post-crisis. 

“National Council for Mental Wellbeing members, including Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), provide these lifesaving crisis services every day. The CCBHC model offers powerful advantages for the funding, sustainability, implementation, coordination and enhancement of crisis response services in communities across the nation and serve as an important component of both local and national crisis response networks.  

“Fully establishing the CCBHC model as a permanent part of our health care system through the Ensuring Excellence in Mental Health Act and improving the efficiency of 988 through legislation like the Local 9-8-8 Response Act represent our best hope to quickly expand access to quality, reliable mental health and substance use care in communities across the country. 

“We share our gratitude to National Council members, everyone on the front lines of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and all crisis care providers, our partners in the private sector, and those demonstrating bold Congressional leadership in Washington, D.C. 

“We look forward to continuing our collaboration to ensure the shared vision for 988 — a fully comprehensive, coordinated and accessible crisis services system for all — becomes a reality.”