- Delaware Health and Social Services

What You Need to Know

July 2023 marks the one-year anniversary of 988. A year prior, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) officially transitioned to an easy-to-remember, 3-digit number (988) across the U.S. Options for texting and online chat are also rapidly expanding.

Delaware successfully transitioned to 988 in 2022, with 24/7/365 coverage across all three counties. During the first year, Delaware received 5,374 calls seeking mental health and suicidal crisis support or resources. Of those, 3,937 (73%) were answered in state while 854 (16%) were redirected to a national backup center. In addition, 50 calls to 988 required an activation of 911, and 34 calls involved a suicide attempt in progress.

Other existing behavioral health crisis lines and mobile response in Delaware continue to operate:

Adult Crisis Hotlines: 1-800-652-2929 (Northern); 1-800-345-6785 (Southern)
Mobile Response Stabilization Service (Child Crisis Program): 1-800-969-HELP (4357)

ABOUT 988

Anyone can call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for themselves or if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
What happens when you call 988?
- Callers will hear a greeting message while their call is routed, based on the caller's area code, to a local 988 Lifeline center in Delaware, where trained professionals will listen and assist.
- Callers will also be given the option to reach the Veterans Crisis Line (Press 1), a Spanish speaker (Press 2), or connect with a counselor especially trained to support LGBTQ+ youth and young adults (Press 3).
- If a regional call center is unavailable, the call will be routed to the national backup network to assess the crisis and connect to local assistance.
Currently, people with Delaware's 302 area code who call 988 are connected with ContactLifeline, Delaware's only Lifeline Center.
Work is underway to add a second Lifeline Center operated by DHSS's Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health by 2024.

ABOUT CONTACTLIFELINE

ContactLifeline, Inc. has been operating in Delaware since 1974 and has been serving as the state's only National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Center.
ContactLifeline provides telephone counseling, crisis intervention, referral information, education, and prevention services for persons in crisis, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
ContactLifeline is funded in part by Delaware's Department of Health and Social Services using federal funds, as well as through the Delaware Criminal Justice Council.

What You Need to Know

ABOUT 988

ABOUT CONTACTLIFELINE

Resources

Delaware's Government