In Suicide Prevention, 988 Debate 'Is Over'
Internecine clashes in the mental health crisis and social service communities over what three digits to use for a nationwide suicide prevention hotline are seemingly over. There's general acceptance -- sometimes grudging -- of 988, experts told us. Many see its selection as inevitable given the support on Capitol Hill and at the FCC. Commissioners vote Thursday on a draft NPRM proposing 988 (see 1911210049).
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
"The debate is over," said American Association of Suicidology board member Bart Andrews. He said the crisis community was surprised by so much debate over 988, as a suicide hotline having its own unique number instead of a repurposed one sends a clear message of its importance and eliminates the problem of getting calls intended for the previous use of the number. He said some might not be happy with the number, but they're supporting it publicly. "There was no perfect solution," but these digits had the least downsides.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Senior Vice President-Public Policy John Madigan said 988 will be universally accepted because the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act (HR-4194), with 113 co-sponsors, has "pretty dramatic" bipartisan support. The bill would allow states to collect fees to cover the costs of 988. That will be a big driver of support, he said.
United Way, which had backed expanded use of 211 (see 1812110033), hasn't decided if it will file comments in any NPRM beyond perhaps calling attention to resource challenges 988 will face, said UW Public Policy Counsel Steve Taylor. It won't comment advocating for 211, he said. The 988 code -- which the FCC recommended to Congress instead of following its North American Numbering Council's 211 suggestion (see 1908150008) -- “seems to be a compromise decision," he said.
Now, stakeholder focus is more on funding and resources, Andrews said. Madigan said the hope is the fees provision of the Designation Act lets the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline greatly ramp up its services and call-handling capacity and be independent of federal budgeting concerns. Most of the group's $12 million annual budget is used for training and education at call centers, he said. But companion Senate legislation has only four co-sponsors and impeachment could command all the Senate's attention, he said.
The draft NPRM proposes an 18-month implementation timeline. Seek comment on whether to consider a carrier's network size when determining an appropriate implementation time, USTelecom told aides to agency Chairman Ajit Pai and the other commissioners last week, per a docket 18-336 posting. It said the FCC should get comment on use of a dialing delay or 10-digit dialing for areas where 988 isn't used. It said carriers with more legacy switches across a wide area will need extra time if they have to replace legacy switches. "There are not enough legacy switch engineers in existence in the labor market to plan and execute hundreds or thousands of simultaneous legacy switch replacements," it said.
The group said the agency should seek comment on cost recovery mechanisms for carriers that have to replace switches. The draft says 988 is the fastest route. The association said the agency should "not pre-judge any conclusions" from the comment cycle and any alternative options that could allow faster implementation.