American Sign Language Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Callers Now Offered by 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is now offering nationwide American Sign Language (ASL) services for people who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. This addition is part of ongoing efforts to expand accessibility to behavioral health care for underserved communities. Since its launch in July 2022, the 988 Lifeline has received more than 5.5 million calls, texts, and chats, following a nearly $1 billion investment by the Biden-Harris Administration. With the addition of ASL services, the Lifeline will now be available to the millions of Americans who use ASL.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra stated, “Individuals across America who use ASL as their primary language can now readily access the support they need during a mental health crisis. With the introduction of 988 ASL services, we are taking a significant stride forward in providing inclusive and accessible support for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. This is a testament to our ongoing commitment to ensure that no one is left behind when it comes to mental health support.”

To connect directly to a trained 988 Lifeline counselor in ASL, callers who are Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late-Deafened can click the “ASL Now” button on 988lifeline.org and follow the prompts. Direct dialing to 988 from a videophone will be available in the coming weeks. In the meantime, ASL callers can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) from their videophone to reach ASL services.

The 988 Lifeline is a network of over 200 state and local call centers supported by HHS through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for anyone seeking help with suicide, mental health, and substance use-related crises. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA, stated, “With the addition of ASL services, the 988 Lifeline reaffirms its commitment to providing comprehensive crisis care that caters to the diverse needs of all individuals. This new service is one more critical step towards making mental health support more accessible and inclusive for all.”

Alison Barkoff, who leads the U.S. Administration for Community Living, expressed, “Millions of people in the Deaf community will now have access to the crucial support available through the 988 Lifeline. The addition of American Sign Language services to the 988 Lifeline is another important step toward our goal of ensuring that all Americans – regardless of disability or age – can get the health care and supportive services they need to thrive.”

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) CEO Howard A. Rosenblum stated, “After years of advocacy to ensure that 988 is available to everyone not only through voice calls but also texting and video for sign language users, the NAD is thrilled that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is now available to use through video calls in sign language. This critical service was made possible thanks to funding from HHS through SAMHSA towards implementation of the program by DeafLEAD and Vibrant. We encourage anyone going through a crisis or thinking about suicide to contact 988 in any way preferred — voice, text, or sign language.”

The 988 ASL services have been introduced to provide an inclusive and supportive environment for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community. The rollout of these services is a significant step in building a world where emotional support is available around the clock for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals. The 988 Lifeline Officer at Vibrant Emotional Health, Dr. Tia Dole, expressed, “In a world where communication is the bridge to understanding, videophone provides individuals access to therapists, counselors, and support groups through sign language. This serves as a cornerstone in creating an inclusive and supportive environment for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community.”

For more information about the ASL service, individuals can visit 988lifeline.org/help-yourself/for-deaf-hard-of-hearing.

The Biden-Harris Administration’s investment into the 988 Lifeline supports the President’s Unity Agenda to tackle the mental health crisis. The investment has gone directly to states, territories, and tribes to hire crisis counselors and improve local response. More than $200 million in 988 Lifeline grants is expected to be awarded later this month to support states, territories, and tribes in building out local capacity for crisis services and connecting with more people in need.

According to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), in 2021, 4.8% of adults ages 18 or older (about 12.3 million people) had serious thoughts of suicide. Among adolescents ages 12 to 17, 12.7% (about 3.3 million people) had serious thoughts of suicide. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2021, suicide was the second-leading cause of death for people aged 10–14 and 25–34 years, and over 107,000 people died from drug overdoses.

Studies have shown that after speaking with a trained crisis counselor, most callers are significantly more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

The 988 Lifeline also connects to the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), with almost 1 million of the 5 million contacts last year being answered by the VCL. Military members, veterans, and their families can reach the VCL by dialing 988 and pressing option 1.

Individuals who speak Spanish can connect directly to Spanish-speaking crisis counselors by calling 988 and pressing option 2, texting “AYUDA” to 988, or chatting online at 988lineadevida.org or 988Lifeline.org.

LGBTQI+ youth and young adults under the age of 25 who want to connect with a counselor specifically focused on meeting their needs can call 988 and select option 3, text “Y” to 988, or access the service via chat.

Translation services in more than 240 additional languages are provided through Language Line Solutions.

Reporters with questions can contact media@samhsa.hhs.gov.

Original Story at www.hhs.gov – 2023-09-08 13:30:00