The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is now available.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides care and support to people experiencing stressful situations—whether that is thoughts of suicide, a mental health concern, or a substance use issue. It is a free and confidential service that is available 24/7.

People of all ages who need help for themselves or a loved one can access the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by:

• Calling 988 (multiple languages).
• Sending a text message to 988 (English only).
• Using the chat feature at 988lifeline.org (English only).

Wisconsinites who use the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will connect with an in-state service known as the Wisconsin Lifeline. The person contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is connected with a trained counselor who takes note of the person’s needs, understands how the person’s problem is affecting them, provides support, and, if needed, gets the person additional help.

DHS is planning a statewide campaign to advertise and promote awareness of 988 to the public. This campaign is expected to launch in early 2023.

Their focus right now is making sure the system is working as designed and that people and organizations providing mental health and substance use resources (counselors, medical professionals, schools, etc.) understand how the service fits within the overall continuum of care for behavioral health crisis services in Wisconsin.

Visit their website for more information on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.