A three-digit phone number—988—will debut in July in Pennsylvania as well as across the nation. The new number, seeking to replicate the success of the easy-to-remember 911 emergency number—will route to the crisis centers that currently respond to calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which now operates at 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK). A goal is to change the conversation around suicide, a leading cause of death, and reduce the stigma around seeking help for mental illness. The hotline will go live on July 16.
