If you or someone near you is in a mental health crisis, call or text 988. This is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7 by phone call, text message, or online chat. It connects you with a trained crisis counselor for free, confidential support covering suicidal thoughts, substance use emergencies, and severe emotional distress. For situations involving immediate physical danger, such as an overdose, self-harm in progress, or violence, call 911.
988: The First Number to Know
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is the national entry point for mental health emergencies in the United States. You can reach it three ways: call 988, text 988, or start a live chat at 988lifeline.org. All three options are available around the clock, every day of the year. Services are free regardless of insurance status, and support is available in Spanish and for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Crisis counselors on 988 do more than listen. They help you assess what’s happening, walk you through coping strategies in real time, and connect you with local resources. In many areas, 988 can also dispatch a mobile crisis team directly to your location, which means you can get in-person help without calling 911.
When to Call 911 Instead
The line between 988 and 911 comes down to physical danger. Call 911 when someone has already harmed themselves, taken a dangerous amount of a substance, lost consciousness, or is threatening violence toward others. These situations need immediate physical intervention from paramedics or emergency responders.
If the crisis is emotional but not yet physically dangerous (intense suicidal thoughts, a panic episode, overwhelming distress), 988 is the better starting point. Counselors there are specifically trained in mental health de-escalation, and the interaction stays focused on your wellbeing rather than following a law enforcement protocol. If at any point during a 988 call the situation escalates to physical danger, the counselor can coordinate emergency services on your behalf.
Mobile Crisis Teams
A growing number of communities now have mobile crisis teams that come to you. These teams typically include at least two professionals: a licensed behavioral health clinician who can assess and diagnose on the spot, and a peer support specialist with their own lived experience of mental health challenges. The peer specialist’s role is specifically to build trust and rapport during a frightening moment.
You can request a mobile crisis team through 988, through 911 dispatchers in participating areas, or sometimes through a local crisis center directly. The team conducts a behavioral health screening when they arrive and decides whether the situation can be resolved on-site or whether a higher level of care is needed. The goal is stabilization in the least restrictive setting possible, which often means you stay home rather than going to an emergency room.
In California, health plans are now required to cover mobile crisis services provided through 988 without prior authorization, and you cannot be charged more than your normal in-network cost sharing even if the team is technically out of network. Coverage laws vary by state, but many mobile crisis programs are funded publicly and provided at no cost to the person in crisis.
Text-Based Options
Not everyone can make a phone call during a crisis. You might be in a shared space, unable to speak, or simply more comfortable typing. Beyond texting 988, the Crisis Text Line lets you text the word “HELLO” to 741741 from anywhere in the U.S. A trained crisis counselor typically responds within five minutes. The entire conversation happens over text, and the service is free and confidential.
Text-based support works well for people experiencing anxiety so intense that speaking feels impossible, for teens who don’t want to be overheard, or for anyone who processes their thoughts more clearly in writing.
Specialized Lines for Specific Groups
Veterans
Veterans and active-duty service members have a dedicated line staffed by counselors who understand military culture, and many are veterans themselves. Dial 988 and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. You can also text 838255 or start a confidential chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net. If you have hearing loss, dial 711 first, then 988. All options are available 24/7.
LGBTQ+ Youth
The Trevor Project provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ young people. Counselors are trained in the particular challenges this population faces, from family rejection to identity-related distress. Call 1-866-488-7386, text “START” to 678-678, or use the chat feature on TheTrevorProject.org. The service is free, confidential, and available 24/7, 365 days a year.
What Happens to Your Privacy
Crisis hotline conversations are confidential. Counselors will not contact police, your employer, or your family simply because you called. There are, however, narrow exceptions that exist across all mental health services. If a counselor believes there is a serious and imminent threat to your life or someone else’s, they can alert people who may be able to prevent harm. This includes scenarios where someone has already taken a lethal action or is actively threatening to hurt another person.
State laws vary on exactly when this “duty to warn” kicks in, but the threshold is consistently high: the danger must be both serious and imminent. Expressing suicidal thoughts, feeling overwhelmed, or describing past experiences does not trigger a mandatory report. The vast majority of crisis calls end with a safety plan and referrals, not with dispatched responders.
Outside the United States
Canada launched its own 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline, available 24/7 by call or text. In the United Kingdom, you can call 111 and select the mental health option to speak with a trained professional or get directed to the right local service. For other countries, the International Association for Suicide Prevention maintains a directory of crisis centers at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/.
Helping Someone Else in Crisis
You do not need to be the person in crisis to use these resources. Every line listed here accepts calls from concerned friends, family members, coworkers, or bystanders. If someone near you is in distress and you’re unsure what to do, calling 988 yourself gives you access to a counselor who can coach you through the situation in real time: what to say, what not to say, and how to assess whether the person needs emergency care.
Stay with the person if you can. Remove access to medications, sharp objects, or firearms if it’s safe to do so. You don’t need to have the perfect words. Being present and connecting them to professional support is the most effective thing you can do.