Starting July 16, 2022, when someone calls 988, they will reach one of 180 existing Lifeline call centers across the country. Calls are directed to the closest call center based on the person’s area code, and a national center provides backup to ensure that no call goes unanswered. Residents who call 988 from communities with behavioral health supports such as mobile crisis teams or crisis centers can receive immediate referrals to services from the 988 counselors. 

Mental health clinicians screen calls and divert those that meet specific criteria to behavioral health support rather than law enforcement or emergency response.

The Alternative Crisis Response streamlines the flow of behavioral health crisis calls across 78 primary 911 public safety answering points (PSAPs). Emergency operators, call takers, and dispatchers use a crisis call assessment matrix to route behavioral health crisis calls to the appropriate response.

Trained clinicians staff a 24-hour, non-911 crisis line seven days a week. Staff provide free behavioral health support, referrals to treatment and service providers, and information on non-crisis community resources in any language. As requested, staff can also dispatch mobile crisis response 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Behavioral health call responders are co-located on the 911 operations floor and integrated with the public-safety answering point’s computer-aided dispatch system. When counselors need to dispatch a mobile crisis team, they tap into the crisis line’s dispatch optimization tool (DOT). The app is GPS-enabled mobile phone software that allows call takers to see the location and status of each mobile crisis team and deploy one that’s available and closest to the person in crisis.