California-mental-health-crisis-hotline 988

Veterans Crisis Line has a new number—Dial 988 then Press 1

The VA administers the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) national network. Veterans currently reach the VCL by calling the 10-digit Lifeline phone number, 800-273-8255, and then pressing 1 to be connected to responders trained to understand the unique needs and challenges of Veterans.

The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, signed into law in 2020, authorized 988 as the new three-digit number for the Lifeline. All telephone service providers in the U.S. must activate 988 no later than July 16, 2022. Once a Veteran’s telephone service provider makes 988 available, Veterans will be able to reach the VCL by dialing 988 and then dialing 1.

The "988-factsheet.pdf" in the  "Files (1)" of the "Attachments" noted above would seem to indicate the '988' is now in effect 'Nationally'.                                              My initial comment did not clarify that the agency I worked for - was one of 64 'Certified' participants in  the [then] National Suicide Prevention Hotline Network (1998-2002)....

I read that '988' is in effect NATIONWIDE, not just in California ..... I'd previously worked for an agency that was previously one of the (64 at that time) participants in the national 'suicide prevention hotline network. We'd 'fielded calls' from as far away as Quebec to the north, and Kentucky to the south-that I was aware of at that time.