What happens when you call 988

Most people who have never called imagine something more official than it is — a screening, a record, a decision being made about them. What actually happens is that somebody says hello and asks what is going on.

This is what the call is like, including the parts people are most worried about.

Who actually answers

988 is not one call centre. It is a network of independent local crisis centres, mostly run by nonprofits, connected by a national routing system. The person who picks up is a trained crisis counselor, usually somewhere in your state.

They are not police. They are not doctors. They cannot prescribe you anything or put anything on a medical record, because in most cases they are not part of a health system that has one.

How the call gets routed

This surprises people, so it is worth knowing: for a long time 988 routed calls by the area code of your phone number, not by where you physically were. Somebody who moved from Ohio to Arizona and kept their old number reached an Ohio centre.

Georouting for wireless calls has been rolling out to fix exactly this. If your number's area code is nowhere near where you live, it is reasonable to say so early — "I'm actually in Denver" — so anything local they suggest is somewhere you can get to.

What they will ask

Roughly, in this order, and gently:

• what is going on right now
• how you are feeling
• whether you are thinking about suicide
• whether you have thought about how, and whether you have anything with you
• whether you have anyone with you

That third and fourth question is the one people brace for. It is asked because the answer changes what help looks like, not because a wrong answer triggers something. Counselors are trained to ask it directly and without flinching, and you can answer with "I don't want to talk about that part" and the call carries on.

Whether the police get sent

This is the fear that stops people calling, and it deserves a straight answer rather than reassurance.

Emergency services are involved in a small minority of 988 contacts — the Lifeline's own reporting has put it at roughly two percent, and the great majority of those are with the caller's agreement. The service's stated approach is to work with you toward the least invasive option that keeps you safe.

But it is not never, and anyone who tells you it is never is selling something. If that risk is the thing weighing on you:

• You can ask at the start. "Before I say anything — what would make you send someone?" is a completely normal question and they will answer it.
• You do not have to give your location. Calls are not traced the way films suggest; if you do not offer an address they generally do not have one.
• Warmlines are an alternative. Many states run peer-staffed lines for people who are struggling but not in immediate danger, and those do not dispatch.

Text and chat

Text 988, or use the chat on the Lifeline's site. It is the same service.

For a lot of people this is easier than speaking — quieter if someone else is in the house, and it removes the problem of not being able to get words out. The wait can be longer than the phone at busy times.

If you are a veteran

Press 1 after dialing, or text 838255. That routes you to the Veterans Crisis Line, which is staffed separately and includes people who have served. You do not need to be enrolled with the VA and you do not need a service-connected condition.

What it costs

Nothing. There is no charge, no insurance involved, and nothing appears on a bill because no claim is made.

What 988 does not do

It is worth being clear about the limits, because expecting the wrong thing is how people come away disappointed:

• it does not provide ongoing therapy
• it does not prescribe or manage medication
• it cannot get you an appointment, though it can tell you where to look
• it is not a substitute for 911 if someone needs an ambulance right now

What it does is get you through the next few hours with somebody alongside you, and point you at what comes after.

If you cannot face the call

That is extremely common and it is not a failure. Text instead, or use the chat. Or read how to get through tonight, which assumes you are not going to call anyone.