On April 19, the Department of Health and Human Services, through its Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), awarded nearly $105 million in grant funding to 54 states and territories in advance of the July transition to the 988 dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. DHCS received nearly $14.5 million to improve response rates, increase capacity, and ensure calls are quickly routed to local call centers for people in need. DHCS may also use the funding to build the workforce necessary for enhancing local text and chat response, working with the California Lifeline call center network.
Until the formal launch of 988 in July 2022, anyone in mental health crisis or emotional distress should call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1(800) 273-TALK (8255). People not in crisis who are seeking treatment options for mental health conditions should visit findtreatment.samhsa.gov or call 1(800) 662-HELP (4357). More information is available on the SAMHSA website.