Proposed changes to 988 mental health line would route callers to nearest help available

A rule proposed by the Federal Communications Commission aims to make the national 988 suicide hotline more efficient by connecting a caller to the closest local resources, rather than crisis centers in the phone’s home area code.

The suicide and mental health crisis hotline, known as the 988 Lifeline, currently sends calls to emergency centers based in the phone’s registered area code. The rule proposed by the FCC’s chair would require phone companies to determine where the call originated, and route it to the nearest help, based on the phone’s geolocation.