Illinois’ Mental Health Crisis System

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

2022 finds the State of Illinois rolling out new mental health and crisis prevention programs statewide.

Starting July 16, 2022, people in Illinois, and nationwide, will be able to dial 9-8-8 for someone to talk to if they’re having a mental health emergency. The phone number will be answered by call centers in the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) network, which has existed since 2005 at 1-800-273-TALK.

This new program provides residents of Illinois a simple 3-digit code to call or text to chat with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Eventually, the 988 services will expand to support all kinds of mental health crises, not just suicide. The goal is to provide emotional support during a crises. Unlike 911, this services IS NOT A DISPATCH SERVICE. The 988 service will not have a direct connection to local 911 emergency dispatch centers. If a crisis call requires an in-person response, each 988 call center will coordinate this with resources near to the caller.

Experts and advocates of the 988 system estimate that more than 80% of calls will require phone support only. However, the service is put into place with a vision of a future ability to cross connect seamlessly with local, in-person, emergency response.

To learn more about the new 988 support service, download the full pdf document here. Or, contact:

Rachel Bhagwat, NAMI Chicago, rachelb@namichicago.org
Andy Wade, NAMI Illinois, andywade@namiillinois.org

If you or someone you know is strugling with mental health issues and needs help, contact Barrington Behavioral Health & Wellness at:

Phone: 1-888-261-2178
Email: help@barringtonbhw.com