988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

A national mental health crisis telephone and chat service that connects callers to trained crisis counselors. Launched in July 2022, 988 replaced the previous 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The RHTP addresses the looming expiration of American Rescue Plan Act funding for Oklahoma's 988 infrastructure, proposing to use RHTP dollars as a bridge while a permanent funding source is identified. 988 represents the most visible recent federal investment in behavioral health infrastructure, but its long-term sustainability is uncertain — funding for crisis services remains fragmented across federal, state, and local sources. The FCC has opened a rulemaking on sustainable 988 funding, and several states have enacted 988 surcharges on phone bills modeled on 911 funding.