The Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care National Call Center has been selected to serve as one of 12 national backup centers that will triage overflow calls made to 9-8-8, a new national hotline for mental health crisis and suicide prevention that launches July 16.
People who are experiencing a mental health or substance-use crisis can dial or text the three-digit number 24/7 to immediately connect with trained counselors who will assess the call and provide support, risk assessment, safety planning and referrals to local mental health treatment services or resources.
The hotline, mandated by the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 and funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), connects to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-TALK) network of crisis centers.
The line will serve as an alternative to calling 9-1-1 or law enforcement for mental health crises.
According to SAMHSA, there is roughly one death by suicide in the nation every 11 minutes and about 12 million people report seriously considering suicide each year. More than 3 million people contact the Lifeline annually – a number experts expect will rise when 9-8-8 goes live.
“Rutgers has operated the New Jersey Hopeline, the state’s suicide prevention hotline, for the past 9 years and has experience in answering these calls,” said William Zimmerman, Program Manager for the NJ Hopeline and the new Lifeline national Back Up Center. “The potential benefit of 9-8-8 is tremendous. During a crisis, quick access to support and care can prevent death by suicide. This number will also help better reach underserved populations such as in rural areas and communities of color, which can lack mental health services.”
The Lifeline is comprised of a network of more than 200 local and state-funded crises centers throughout the U.S. Calls are routed to the closest center based on area code.
“However, not every area has a crisis center, and not all centers operate 24/7,” Zimmermann said. “If a local crisis center is unable to take the call, the caller will be automatically routed to Rutgers or another national backup crisis center.”
