Calls to Connecticut's 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Increase; Rapid Response Proves Effective

Yesterday, September 8th, marked the second annual 988 day, recalling launch of the national three-digit 988 dialing code in 2022, and a day to broaden public awareness of the service.

The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides judgment-free, compassionate support for anyone experiencing emotional distress, mental health challenges, problems with substance use, loneliness and thoughts of suicide or self-harm.

United Way of Connecticut’s 211 has provided Suicide and Crisis Lifeline support to residents of our state for more than 40 years.  The launch of the 988 number offered an additional opportunity for United Way of Connecticut to expand access and awareness of that important service.

988 serves as a critical access point for information and referral to critically needed help including our state’s mobile mental health crisis teams, community resources including mental health counseling and support groups.

As 988 awareness continues to grow, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline use is increasing:

•          In 2025, 988 CT served more than 2.5 times the number of callers compared to 2022, the year the national 988 three-digit dialing code launched.

•           In FY2025, 988 CT answered 97% of calls within 5 seconds, beating the national goal of answering 95% of all calls in 15 seconds.

•          In FY 2025 alone, 988 CT handled more than 55,000 calls.

•          United Way of Connecticut’s crisis center continues to build capacity to ensure that the team is ready to respond to all calls as well as chats and texts from CT residents.

“988 is a critically important service for those in crisis. We are proud of the performance of the 988 CT service. Most importantly – more than 95% of Connecticut callers tell us that their state of crisis diminished during their call with our team,” said Nancy Navaretta, Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

While the 988 CT team engages emergency response when it is needed, less than 1% of all 988 CT crisis calls this past year required escalation to 911 for active rescue or medical emergency response.

“Thanks to our robust partnership with the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, United Way of Connecticut’s 988 crisis service is a top performer in the nation,” said Lisa Tepper Bates, President and CEO of United Way of Connecticut. “Picking up every urgent 988 call as quickly as possible is critical – and our 988 CT team consistently ranks in the nation’s top five 988 centers for speed to answer.

“Our team knows that quick response can save a life. Our Contact Specialists do heroic work every day: they meet each caller where they are, taking the time to understand each person’s needs, de-escalate the crisis and offer options for support,” shares Tanya Barrett, Senior Vice President of 211 Health and Human Services. “Often, this involves helping a caller to build a plan to de-escalate their sense of crisis, and to connect to their existing supports and resources.”

If you are struggling with your mental health, feeling overwhelmed or just need someone to talk to, you’re not alone and you don’t have to go through it alone. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is here for you: anytime, anywhere. Call or text 988.