988 In Georgia
What is 988?
988 is emerging as the 911 of behavioral health, and like the rollout of 911 will take many years to reach full capacity. It is one of the largest federally mandated crisis response transformations in decades designed to meet the rising needs of mental health, substance abuse disorders, and suicide interventions.
Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities is leading the planning process and implementation of 988 in Georgia.
Moving to a 3-digit dialing code is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strengthen and expand the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Establishing 988 for suicide prevention and behavioral health crises will make it easier for Georgians in crisis to access the help they need and decrease the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health.
For more information about 988, data releases, and FAQs, visit https://988ga.org/.
Georgia's Rollout
The 9-8-8 dialing code launched on July 16, 2022. Callers will be connected to a trained staff member who can help address immediate needs and connect the callers to care resources., 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
We know that eventually 9-8-8 will become as commonly used as 9-1-1, providing appropriate mental health crisis responses for all Georgians. While 9-1-1 began in the 1960s, it took thirty years to have 93% of the U.S. population covered by 9-1-1 and it continues to evolve. We will take lessons learned from 9-1-1 implementation: build capacity and staffing over time, with a focus on technology and infrastructure.
We expect call volumes to be higher than ever before and we are working hard to prepare to meet this demand. We are working to build capacity to serve this increased demand at a time of workforce shortages and other unprecedented challenges.
DBHDD’s planning committee has been meeting since April of 2021 to prepare for the July 16, 2022, rollout. The committee is made up of healthcare professionals and providers, law enforcement, 9-1-1 officials, policymakers, individuals with lived experience, and behavioral health advocates.