LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is rolling out a statewide rebrand to “Nevada 988” after research showed fewer than 20% of residents were aware of the three-digit hotline, officials said.
Crisis Response Section Manager Rachel Isherwood announced the rebranding on Monday, June 1, in a news release, calling it the start of a broader effort to educate Nevadans about how to use 988 for immediate behavioral health support.
Nevada 988 connects people to crisis counselors for emotional and mental health support as well as substance use issues, officials said. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, through phone calls, text messages and online chat. Counselors provide listening support and can screen for suicide risk, the state said.
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Gov. Joe Lombardo said in a statement his administration is working to expand mental health services, including opening a second 988 call center in Southern Nevada and securing steady funding for the program.
State officials said the Division of Public and Behavioral Health plans a statewide awareness campaign this year in partnership with call center operators and the National Alliance on Mental Illness Nevada. That effort includes a new website designed to make it easier for people to find support.
NAMI Nevada Executive Director Robin Reedy said the goal is to help residents remember 988 before they need it, noting that people in crisis should not have to search for help in the moment.
Nevada 988 is operated under a state contract with Carelon Behavioral Health, which opened a 988 call center in Southern Nevada last year, officials said. Crisis Support Services of Nevada operates a call center in Northern Nevada. The two centers support each other during periods of high call volume to increase the likelihood calls are answered locally, the state said.
Officials encouraged residents to save 988 in their phones and share it with friends and family, emphasizing that callers, texters and chat users are connected to trained professionals.
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