The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to require that all calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline be routed by wireless carriers to local call centers.
Cellphone carriers will be required to use georouting to connect callers to the 988 call center closest to the caller’s physical location, a change intended to streamline connections to local resources and broaden services.
“If we get more people connected to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to resources that are local, we can help more people with more meaningful assistance in more places,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said before the vote Thursday. “Georouting means that those responding to 988 inquiries have a lot more knowledge of local resources and local events.”
The requirements would take effect 30 days from the effective date of the rule for wireless providers and 24 months afterward for smaller, non-nationwide providers.
“The 988 Lifeline represents a portal to community resources that can help a person both navigate an immediate crisis and find ongoing care,” said Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. “Georouting will make that easier for everyone involved.”
The 3-digit lifeline number rolled out in July 2022 and typically connects callers to a center based on their three-digit area code. But many individuals use a mobile number whose area code does not match where they currently live.
Two major carriers, Verizon and T-Mobile, voluntarily began the process last month to route calls based on location. Those carriers make up about half of all wireless calls to 988, according to the FCC. A third carrier, AT&T, said they will also begin the process soon.
The FCC is also proposing that carriers use georouting to connect people who text 988 to local call centers and solicit input on how to do that.
“Texting technology is different and presents special challenges because texts contain unique information and move along a different pathway than traditional phone calls,” Rosenworcel said.
If you or someone you know is facing a mental health crisis, please call the toll-free, 24-hour 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8 to connect to a trained counselor.
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