RALEIGH, N.C. (NCN News) — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is recognizing the 4th anniversary of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Since 2022, North Carolinians are reaching out more with usage of 988 more than doubling since launch. Simultaneously, NCDHHS has improved its ability to respond to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.
988 is available 24 hours a day in English and Spanish by phone, text, or online chat for anyone experiencing depression, emotional distress, a mental health crisis, thoughts of self-harm, or for anyone who simply needs someone to talk to.
Targeted services are available for veterans, and American Sign Language (ASL) services allow deaf and hard of hearing individuals to make video calls.
“The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline offers immediate help to people when they are in crisis,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “When people call 988, we know they are at their most vulnerable. Experienced, compassionate counselors offer support and direct callers to appropriate resources.”
The REAL Crisis Center in Greenville (realcrisis.org),a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing immediate and ongoing crisis services for anyone in need, free from commitment and at no charge, operates North Carolina’s 988 service.
NCDHHS has taken steps in recent months to enhance 988. In March, NCDHHS launched a real-time dispatch process (Mobile Crisis Dispatch) that allows 988 operators to either send a mobile crisis team or connect the caller directly with a provider and other local resources. The pilot program started in Duplin, Edgecombe, Greene, Halifax, Lenoir, Nash, Sampson, Warren, Wayne and Wilson counties and has since expanded to 27 eastern North Carolina counties.
Also in March, NCDHHS upgraded the Behavioral Health Statewide Central Availability Navigator (BH SCAN) to enable 988 operators to identify available mental health beds in the area. The streamlined communication has reduced wait times and helped people in crisis receive the appropriate level of care faster.
“We continue to find ways to improve the service so callers who need help for themselves or a loved one get it as quickly as possible,” said Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services. “Integrating Mobile Crisis Dispatch and BH SCAN into the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline helps ensure all North Carolinians have someone to contact, someone to respond and a safe place to go when they need help.”
Since its inception, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has become an important part of NCDHHS’ crisis response efforts, with contacts increasing as the service becomes more widely known. In the six months ending May 2026, 988 averaged 15,972 contacts (calls, chats and texts) per month. That represented a 10% increase over the previous six months and is more than double the number of contacts 988 received in its first 12 months of operation.
North Carolina’s Peer Warmline (1-855-PEERS-NC) works in conjunction with 988. Many callers to 988 are referred to the Peer Warmline, which is staffed by Peer Support Specialists who have personal experience with mental health or substance use disorders.