988 Mental Health Lifeline is Focus of June 29 Virtual Town Hall, Open to Public

A virtual town hall to discuss the upcoming launch of the 988 Mental Health Lifeline will be held Wednesday, June 29, noon to 1 p.m., on YouTube Livestream.

Led by Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Carrie Slatton-Hodges, the forum will allow the public to ask questions directly about the statewide mental health lifeline. The service is set to begin operating in mid-July.

988 is the number approved by the Federal Communications Commission to replace the 11-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number. The 988 Mental Health Lifeline will operate 24/7 and offer services for mental health crisis calls. Operators are licensed and certified health crisis specialists who answer calls, connect to and dispatch local services and mobile crisis teams.

You can find more information about 988 here, or more about Oklahoma's 988 initiative here.