Need Support Now?
If you or someone you know are having thoughts of suicide
or need mental health-related crisis support:
Please call or text 988 or visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline chat to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
988 is the new nationwide 3-digit dialing code for Mental Health Crisis and Suicide Prevention.
In 2020, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act instituted 988 as the new three-digit phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) (Read here: congress.gov/NSPL). The Mental Health Association in New Jersey (MHANJ) supports the establishment of the 988 line, as well as community-based mobile crisis teams to create a much-needed behavioral health crisis response system within our state. It is the position of MHANJ that instituting a full continuum of behavioral health crisis care in New Jersey will help to keep individuals in the community, to reduce hospitalizations and incarcerations related to behavioral health crises, and to connect and engage individuals in behavioral health services.
MHANJ has been a key influencer in creating state legislation to establish the 988 line and mobile crisis teams within New Jersey. Below is an archive of resources written by the GA team regarding 988, community mobile crisis teams, and building a full continuum of community crisis care in New Jersey:
- Backgrounder-on-Mobile-Crisis_FINAL
- Cutting Edge_988 Becomes Law_7.11.22
- Cutting Edge_988-Gov. Murphy_6.27.2022
- Cutting Edge_Why New Jersey Needs 988_2.2.22
MHANJ Backgrounder, April 20, 2020:
For more information about 988 and the community crisis continuum of care, please contact:
Barb Johnston, Director, Policy & Advocacy, bjohnston@mhanj.org
