National 988 crisis hotline is officially off the ground in Missouri

Someone to talk to, someone to respond, and somewhere to go.

That’s what the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is designed to do for those in crisis and it officially rolled out over the weekend.

The goal is to get patients the appropriate care that they need as soon as possible and help to prevent future crises – while also alleviating emergency rooms and law enforcement in some instances.

Casey Muckler, who is in charge of Missouri’s launch, says while the national suicide prevention hotline has been important, it has only had the scope of suicide prevention.

You can call or text 988 or chat virtually by going to 988lifeline.org.