Federal officials and telecommunications companies have been working to meet a July 2022 deadline for a switch to a new three-digit hotline number for people experiencing mental health crises.
The new 988 dialing code will operate through the infrastructure of the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 800- 273-TALK.
In covering the creation of the 988 code, journalists should consider the advice that a member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave in a 2020 statement. Michael O’Rielly warned against “giving a false promise to the public that 988 is already operational.”
Instead, it’s important to note how much effort establishing the 988 code will require. Deploying 988 “isn’t a matter of simply pulling a proverbial switch,” O’Rielly said. Instead, it will require telecommunications companies to replace, update, or otherwise alter their systems, as well as changes in dialing, he said.
“Even in the best of circumstances, such transitions can be challenging and lengthy, requiring consumer education, end user equipment upgrades by enterprise and government entities, and coordination with state public utility commissions, among other challenges,” O’Rielly said. “Acknowledging the work ahead doesn’t diminish the extensive work that’s been done to arrive at this point; it just reflects the reality of the transition.”
There are many angles for journalists who want to track the progress of this work, a topic covered in a new tip sheet. For example, you could report on how the FCC in November 2021 added a text mandate for reaching the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
In 2020, then FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel argued the agency needed to be “more ambitious” as it put forward an order paving the way for the 988 dialing code that lacked the texting option.
Suicide is among the top causes of death for teenagers and young adults, Rosenworcel noted in a public statement on the 2020 order, citing data from the CDC.
“Voice service has its benefits, but it is not native for most young people. So, I regret today’s decision is anchored in older technologies and takes a pass on developing texting capabilities with this three-digit hotline,” said Rosenworcel. “We should have done so here. I sincerely hope we can do so in the future.
Rosenworcel became the acting FCC chair in January 2021 and was named chair of the commission in October. Under her leadership, the FCC in April released a notice of its plan to consider a proposed text-to-988 rule. In November, the FCC established a process that will require transmission of messages to 988.
In a press release, the FCC noted that 44,834 people died by suicide in the United States in 2020, with evidence suggesting the toll of the global pandemic has only increased the strain on many Americans’ mental health and well-being. Texting will help people who are deaf or have speech disabilities, while also providing a more familiar approach to communication for younger people.
“For individuals in crisis, text messaging can make it easier to contact a crisis counselor by allowing for a certain level of anonymity rather than engaging in a phone conversation,” the FCC said.
