Officials announced Monday that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will spend $ 280 million to move the national suicide prevention lifeline to the three-digit phone number 988 in July 2022.
The Biden administration’s 2022 budget and funding from the US Rescue Program will be directed towards the “key priority” of making the suicide prevention hotline more accessible nationwide, HHS Secretary. Xavier Besera
Xavier BecerraDemocrats are worried that their grip on Hispanic votes is loose. I told reporters over the phone.
Approximately $ 177 million will be allocated through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration to improve and expand the operation of lifeline networks and the telephone infrastructure. An additional $ 105 million is aimed at increasing the number of state and local crisis call centers.
“This is the beginning of a major government effort to actually put resources behind this effort to improve the infrastructure we have for mental health and crisis management services. “Besera said.
“Do this right and do it together, just as Team 988 becomes a lifeline, just as 911 became the basis for emergency response,” he added.
Miriam Delphin Littmon, HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, said call centers are now “underfunded” and suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people and the tenth leading cause of death among all Americans. He added that it is a common cause of death. ..
“It’s a direct link to compassionate and accessible care for all Americans who are experiencing suicidal ideation or who may be at risk of suicide or hardship,” she says. I did.
Last year, the Federal Communications Commission unanimously approved the 988 as a new national suicide prevention hotline, allowing it to switch to telephone service providers until July 16, 2022. Last month, the FCC also voted to allow people to send texts asking for help to 988.
By July, Americans in need of assistance should call the current National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK).
The National Center for Health Statistics counted about 46,000 suicides in 2020, the second consecutive year of overall decline in suicides.
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