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SALT LAKE CITY — Legislation championed by Rep. Chris Stewart to create a national suicide hotline number is headed to the president’s desk.
Stewart, R-Utah, and retired Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, started the effort to designate a three-digit dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline in 2017. The bill to make 988 the national number for mental health emergencies passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support.
“If your house is on fire, call 911. If you need the police, call 911. If you’re in the middle of a mental health crisis, 988 is going to get you help,” Stewart said in a speech on the House floor Monday.
Great news! My #NationalSuicideHotlineDesignationAct has passed the House & is on its way to @POTUS desk. Those in a mental health crisis will now have the extra support that they need. 9-8-8 will save lives & give us additional tools to help reverse the tragic trend of suicide. pic.twitter.com/5ExUQDWJ2p
— Rep. Chris Stewart (@RepChrisStewart) September 21, 2020
The Senate will now take up Stewart’s Suicide Prevention Act, which he said enhances data collection and sharing in real-time, as appropriate, to help save lives. It also provides resources for preventing suicide among emergency department patients.
Paired with the real-time data collection, the hotline number will help reverse the tragic trend of suicide, Stewart said.
Suicide Prevention Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call the suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-TALK.
Crisis Hotlines
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- Statewide/Salt Lake County Crisis Line: 801-587-3000
- Utah County Crisis Line: 801-691-5433
- Wasatch Mental Health Crisis Line: 801-373-7393
- Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386
Online Resources
- NAMI Utah: namiut.org
- Utah Chapter-American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsp.org/chapter/utah
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
