Is 988 accessible for the deaf and hard of hearing community?

Technical Information
Written By Bryan Leavoy

The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides dedicated services for people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or have hearing loss:

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can chat with a 988 Lifeline crisis counselor 24/7 by:

·       For deaf or hard of hearing ASL users, call 988 Videophone – click here to read the terms of service

·       Online chat at 988lifeline.org

·       988 Text – Send any message to 988 to start a text conversation

·       For TTY Users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.

 

If you are a Veteran or service member with hearing loss, or any person concerned about someone who is, there are several ways to contact the Veterans Crisis Line:

Text with a Veterans Crisis Line responder – Send a text message to 838255

Online chat with a Veterans Crisis Line responder at veteranscrisisline.net.

Bryan Leavoy
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People seem to know when to call 911 vs 988, now we need to think about how this informs co-response planning. Are we able to obtain detail on the sampling group used in the 988-awareness survey?