Ten-digit dialing is now mandatory for residents in sections of New York and New Jersey that previously allowed 7-digit dialing for local phone calls — as part of a bid to provide more resources to people at risk of taking their own lives.
The Federal Communications Commission is making the transition after lawmakers approved a new national three-digit code, 988, for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The hotline — currently reached by calling 800-273-8255 — connects callers in distress to local crisis centers. Experts say 988 will expand access to mental health support and prevent future deaths. The code will be fully active in July 2022.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline currently gets about 4 million calls a year. That number is projected to go up by at least 50 percent the first year the code goes into service, according to Vibrant Emotional Health, the organization that operates the hotline. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows about 2,500 people died of suicide in New York and New Jersey every year before the pandemic.
The 10-digit change, which took effect Sunday, affects area codes 516, 607, 716, 845 and 914 in New York state, and 908 and 856 in New Jersey. A spokesperson for the FCC said it’s necessary to prevent calls to seven-digit numbers that happen to start with 988 from accidentally routing to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the future.
“That may cost me what a couple of milliseconds to dial in my area code,” said Madelyn Gould, an epidemiology professor at Columbia University who evaluates suicide prevention hotlines. “That's worth it to save somebody's life.”
Gould’s research shows callers to suicide prevention hotlines experience significant decreases in suicide risk by the end of the telephone session, in addition to continuing decreases in hopelessness and psychological pain in the following weeks. She said the shorter code will make it easier for people to call for help.
“Especially in a crisis when your memory may be challenged, you’re just desperate to talk to somebody. It's much easier to remember 988,” Gould added.
Meryl Cassidy, the executive director of the Response Crisis Center in Suffolk County, said many of the calls are effective because counselors are trained to empathize with callers and help them feel less alone. Her organization is part of a network of about 180 crisis centers that answer calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Cassidy said once a counselor has established a rapport with the caller, they try to collaborate with the caller to develop a plan for the next steps, which may include reaching out to someone in their network for support.
John Draper, the executive director of the hotline, said calls would continue to be routed the same way after 988 is in service. The people in need will be directed to the closest local crisis center according to their area code, and if a counselor isn’t available, the call will be routed to a national backup center. The hotline’s 1-800-273-8255 number will also stay in service once 988 goes into effect next summer.
But Cassidy said crisis centers like hers, which answer calls to the hotline, need more money to hire and train additional counselors before then.
“The last thing you want is to advertise this number and to not be able to pick up the phone,” Cassidy said, adding that these communities also need more mental health resources — like therapists and mobile crisis response teams — to support the work of crisis centers.
Gould added that expanding access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline may also potentially divert calls from 911 and reduce callers’ interactions with police officers who may not be trained to handle mental health emergencies. New York City launched a pilot program this summer with that goal in mind. But the latest data shows it is struggling to achieve its mission due in part to a lack of resources.
The New York State Office of Mental Health said it’s working on a plan to expand the capacity to answer 988 calls, and it’s coordinating with local health organizations to obtain additional funding through the federal Community Mental Health Services Block Grant program.
Jon Draper of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline said his organization is also staffing up national backup centers to handle what it expects will be an influx of overflow calls rolling over from local crisis centers.
“What may surprise people is how quickly talking to somebody who is in effect a stranger can help them feel safe and how quickly something can make a difference.”
If your or someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
