About the
988 Lifeline
988 Lifeline
- Get Help
- 988 Lifeline
What is 988?
988 is your always-on, always listening lifeline for behavioral health support. When you call, text or chat 988, you'll be directly connected to local professionals at the Helpline Center who are trained and prepared to deliver support to anyone going through emotional distress — from suicidal thoughts or substance use concerns to general.
They will actively listen to your concerns, strive to understand the issues you're facing, assist you through moments of crisis and safety planning, refer you to appropriate support resources and follow up to ensure you're receiving the help you need.
988 can also help those concerned about their loved ones. If you’ve seen a family member or friend change their behavior, if you think they might be having thoughts of suicide, or if you know they’re going through issues with emotional distress or substance use, counselors can point you in the right direction and help address negative emotions and stress you might be experiencing as a result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Call 988 if you're experiencing any kind of mental health-related distress, suicide crisis or struggling with substance use. You can also contact 988 if you are worried about a friend or loved one who may need support.
In South Dakota, 988 calls are answered by The Helpline Center, a Sioux Falls-headquartered organization that has been serving our state for over 50 years.
988 is designed to collaborate with 911 centers to ensure that calls are handled by the appropriate professionals.
911 transfers callers to 988 in the cases of emotional crisis, mental health needs, or if callers are suicidal and alert but not requiring dispatch. 988 works with 911 for calls requiring an emergency medical response or law enforcement response.
The Lifeline utilizes geo-routing services to more accurately connect callers to the closest crisis center based upon their physical location.
People seeking chat services are asked to complete a survey before connecting with a counselor, who identifies their main area of concern.
If there is a wait time to chat with a counselor, a wait-time message will appear, and people can access the Lifeline’s helpful resources while waiting.
Once you are connected, a crisis counselor listens to you, works to understand how your problem is affecting you, provides support and shares other resources that may be helpful.
Chat is available 24/7 in both English and Spanish at 988lifeline.org/chat.
When someone texts 988, it alerts a group of Lifeline crisis centers that responds to both chats and texts.
Once you are connected, a trained crisis counselor listens to you, works to understand how your problem is affecting you, provides support and shares resources that may be helpful.
Texting is available in both English and Spanish.
Callers who are Deaf, Blind, Disabled, Hard of Hearing or Late-Deafened can directly dial 988 on a videophone or click the “ASL Now” button on 988lifeline.org to connect with crisis counselors who are trained in working with members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.