A New Mental Health Crisis Phone Number: 988

Everyone knows what number to call if an emergency is happening: 911. But we've seen in the news, that calling 911 for a mental health emergency isn't always the best idea. So where do you turn in that scenario? Well, the new answer is 988.

Phone companies will be required to transition the current mental health emergency hotline (1-800-273-TALK) to be accessible via 988. Through this number, Americans experiencing a mental health crisis will have access to the help they need.

To tell us more about the need for an accessible mental health line is Dr. Margie Balfour. She is a psychiatrist and national leader in quality improvement and behavioral health crisis care. Dr. Balfour the is Chief of Quality and Clinical Innovation at Connections Health Solutions And an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona.

Dr. Balfour is also a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and serves on the Quality-of-Care Council.