The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of HHS put an additional $35 million into the 988 Suicide Lifeline in response to the success hotline's move to a three-digit number in July.
After the three-digit transition, the hotline saw a 45 percent increase in calls, higher answer rates and reduced wait times compared to August 2021, according to a Sept. 9 news release from HHS.
In August 2022, the Lifeline answered 152,000 more calls, chats and texts compared to August 2021 and decreased the wait time from 2.5 minutes to 42 seconds.
After the initial $150 million in funding from President Biden's Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was used to fund the transition to the three-digit number, the new $35 million grant will fund the training of more crisis counselors to further staff the hotline.
"Whether you're experiencing thoughts of suicide, a mental health or substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress, there is compassionate, accessible care and support," Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, PhD, HHS assistant secretary for mental health and substance use and leader of SAMHSA, said in the release. "With rising levels of anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses — and the devastating number of overdose deaths — it is crucial that people have somewhere to turn when they’re in crisis."