The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides immediate emotional and mental
health support from trained crisis workers. 988 is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year, even holidays. You don’t need proof of citizenship, insurance, or a social security number to get help. Call or text 988 anytime if you need to talk to someone or are worried about someone. You can also chat with 988 crisis workers online at https://988lifeline.org/.
What to expect
Call or text 988 whenever you need someone to talk to or are worried about someone, no matter the situation. Our trained crisis workers help people through everything from everyday challenges to serious crisis situations.
Sometimes people don’t want to call because they think their problems or situation aren’t serious enough, and worry about tying up the phone lines for those who may have more immediate needs. Don’t ever worry about that. Calls are routed to the next available 988 center, so there is always an expert available to help. You don’t need to wait until things get worse. Call or text today if you need to talk to someone or are worried about someone. You can also chat with 988 crisis workers online at https://988lifeline.org/.
When you call 988, you will hear a greeting message, followed by a menu of
choices that offer the option to connect you to specially trained counselors for Veterans, service members, and their families (through the Veterans Crisis Line, operated by the Veteran’s Administration), or Spanish speakers. Your call is routed to the service you have chosen if you choose one of these services. . If you do not choose a service, you will be connected to a local 988 Lifeline crisis contact center based on either your approximate location or your phone’s area code. Sometimes it takes a few minutes to get you to the best person to help. Don’t hang up!
You will hear music until a trained crisis worker answers the phone. Once you are connected, your counselor will introduce themselves, ask you about your safety, listen to you, and work to understand how your problem is affecting you. They will provide personal, judgment-free support and share resources that may be helpful. If your local crisis contact center is unable to take your call, you are automatically routed to a national backup crisis contact center.
Our crisis workers at 988 are experts at providing help and support to people in
crisis. That means it is rare that we need to call emergency services like 911 for help. Our goal is to make sure you get the right help at the right time.
Sometimes people don’t ask for help because they worry police or law enforcement will be called and worry, they or someone else will go to jail. This concern should not be the reason you don’t get help. Experts throughout the state (including police and law enforcement) are working very hard to make sure people get the services they need, instead of ending up in jail. It is rare for police or law enforcement to become involved when someone calls or texts 988.
No. When a person calls 988 from a phone using a carrier that has implemented georouting, unless they select one of the specialized services offered through the national network, they will be connected to a nearby crisis call center. Callers who use a wireless carrier for which georouting is not active will be connected to the nearest 988 crisis call center based on the defined location of the first six digits (area code and prefix) of the caller's phone number, regardless of the actual location of the caller. Calls that are not answered locally within a set amount of time get answered by 988’s national back up
network.
988 is safe and confidential. HIPAA laws protect any personal information you give us. We do not share information about you with family members, law enforcement, immigration, or anyone else.
Mobile crisis outreach teams
Mobile crisis outreach teams (also called MCOTs) provide free face-to-face help for anyone having an emotional or behavioral health challenge. Trained crisis workers will meet you wherever you are—at home, work, school, or anywhere in your community. They can help assess the situation, calm you down, and figure out what will keep you and others safe. Mobile crisis outreach teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They come in an unmarked vehicle to protect your privacy. Call 988 to get help from a mobile crisis outreach team. These services are free to everyone in Utah, no matter where you live. You don’t need proof of citizenship, insurance, or a social security number to get help.
We can send a specially trained mobile crisis outreach team if the situation or concern involves a child. These teams have more experience and training to help kids and parents going through a challenging situation.
Our crisis workers at 988 are experts at providing help and support to people
in crisis. That means it is rare that a trained crisis worker needs to call emergency services like 911 for help. Our goal is to make sure you get the right help at the right time.
Sometimes people don’t ask for help because they worry police or law enforcement will be called and worry they or someone else will go to jail. We do everything we can to keep you safe and help you work through the situation over the phone, text, or chat. If that isn’t enough, we can send a mobile crisis outreach team to help. We only work with law enforcement when there’s nothing else we can do to keep you or others safe. It is rare for police or law enforcement to become involved when someone calls 988.
Youth stabilization services can be helpful if your child:
- Threatens to hurt themself or others
- Is verbally or physically aggressive
- Uses substances
- Destroys or steals property
- Is withdrawn from friends or peers
- Has difficulty in school
- Experiences depression or anxiety
- Bullies or is bullied
- Often runs away
- Has severe changes in mood
- Is experiencing grief or loss
- Self-harms (cutting, suicide attempts)
- May have experienced or witnessed trauma
When a mobile crisis outreach team comes to help your child, they will also give you the phone number for your local youth stabilization services to help your family for the next several weeks. However, they don’t set up the appointment for you. You will need to call to set up the appointment with youth stabilization services.
You can get these services at your home 2 to 3 times a week, for 6 to 8 weeks. Virtual appointments are also available. You don’t need proof of citizenship, insurance, or a social security number to get help.
You don’t need to be a current patient or have certain types of insurance to receive these services if they are provided by a local medical professional or health system, like Intermountain Health.
Emergency room visits can be expensive, have long wait times, and they see patients with many different needs. That means emergency rooms may need to see patients who have other medical needs, like accidents or serious medical conditions before they see patients with needs related to emotional, mental health, or substance use. Emergency rooms also may not have mental health professionals working all the time.
It’s hard to make decisions in a crisis. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Line, mobile crisis outreach teams, and crisis receiving centers are all great options to help when you’re struggling. However, there are many reasons they may not be the right choice, depending on the situation. Sometimes you may need to call 911 or go to the emergency room. Here are a few examples of times when you or someone you’re worried about should call 911 or go to the emergency room (this should not be considered a complete list):
- Need immediate help in an emergency or life-threatening situation.
- Don’t live close enough to a crisis center, or a mobile crisis outreach team isn’t able to get there in time.
- Not safe to yourself or others.
- Worried someone has overdosed.
No. The mobile crisis outreach team is free.
Sometimes, the local mental health authority may bill Medicaid or your health insurance company for these services. However, you will never receive a bill for using a mobile crisis outreach team. You will never be asked to pay anything for using a mobile crisis outreach team.
The services are free, but may not be available in every county. These services can be a good option if you can’t find a family therapist right away. A trained mental health professional will visit your family 2 or 3 times each week for 6 to 8 weeks. We can also do visits virtually. You don’t need proof of citizenship, insurance, or a social security number to get help.
Youth stabilization services can help your family:
- Learn how to communicate and interact with each other in a healthier way.
- Create plans to prepare for and prevent future challenges.
- Find resources and support.
Sometimes, the local mental health authority or medical professional may bill Medicaid or your health insurance company for these services. However, you will never receive a bill for these services. You will never be asked to pay anything for using youth stabilization services. You don’t need to be a current patient or have certain types of insurance to receive these services.