New 988 hotline is the 911 for mental health emergencies

Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, speaks during a press conference on the kickoff of 988, a new national mental health hotline, Friday, July 15, 2022, in Philadelphia. The press conference took place in front of the Contemplation, Clarity and Resilience mural by artist Eric Okdeh, which is a mural that represents, among many other things, the process of overcoming hardships. The United States’ first nationwide three-digit mental health crisis hotline (988) goes live on Saturday. (Heather Khalifa/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)