There are reports across the country that as of early December 1, 2022, the recently-introduced 988 mental health hotline is, according to a recorded announcement, “experiencing a service outage.”
Currently, there is no official timeline for when the hotline will be restored.
However, individuals in distress can still connect with a mental health counselor by texting 988, or by starting a chat at 988lifeline.org.
We urge anyone who is struggling to immediately take advantage of this free and confidential service. All counselors are trained and experienced and rely on established best practices and clinically-approved methods to give individuals the support they need. Counselors are available 24/7.
At Carolina Digital Phone, we are proud to have been an early supporter to make 988 the nationwide 3-digit phone number for what was previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Since July, our customers who dial 988 from any phone or device connected to our all-in-one cloud telephone system are connected to an existing network of more than 200 local crisis call centers across the U.S.
UPDATE December 2, 2022:
The nation’s 988 hotline, intended to help anyone experiencing a mental health emergency, was back up and running Friday after a daylong outage.
The call service, which was launched in July, was restored shortly before midnight on Thursday. People experiencing a mental health crisis were still able to reach a mental health counselor by texting 988 or by visiting 988lifeline.org to start a chat.
The federal government is investigating the hotline’s outage, Health and Human Services spokeswoman Sarah Lovenheim said in a tweet late Thursday night.