Now Launched: National 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Now people nationwide who are experiencing a mental health crisis and in need of immediate help will be able to dial or text 988 and receive assistance through the new Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number. 

As the lead agency in developing a seamless roll out of 988, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health or LACDMH has been preparing for this launch for more than a year to ensure operational logistics and response teams are in place to enable Los Angeles County community members to call 988 and receive immediate help during a mental health crisis.

LA County’s 988 Call Center Launched July 16.

A new 988 call center operated by Didi Hirsch is ready to take calls coming into the 988 hotline in Los Angeles County. Trained operators will triage callers to receive the appropriate services, including suicide crisis counseling over the phone and mental health de-escalation counseling over the phone. They will also triage callers to determine when dispatching a mobile crisis team is appropriate and, in rare cases, connection to law enforcement when safety is of concern. 

Mobile Response Teams Increased

L.A. County has increased the number of teams of mental health professionals available to respond in-person to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The L.A. County Department of Mental Health now operates psychiatric mobile response teams or PMRT that consist of unarmed mental health workers who respond in person to people in crisis. These teams operate between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 a.m. In the coming weeks, L.A. County will be expanding the number of PMRTs available and launching new mobile crisis outreach teams or MCOTs that will supplement them by providing crisis response outside of PMRT hours, making the services available 24/7. Both PMRTs and MCOTs will be connected through the 988 Call Center.