If you are a regular reader of my blog, a visitor to my website or Facebook page, or have attended one of my workshops, you know I talk frequently about the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Type the word “suicide” into Google and you get over 305 million search results, or use Bing and get 14.7 million results.  At the top of both search results is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number plus a link to the website.

In 2014, the Lifeline reported answering approximately 1.5 million calls throughout its network of 165 crisis centers.  Since it’s formation in 2005, the Lifeline crisis centers have answered more than 5 million calls.

The Lifeline, however, is more than just a telephone number.  You can:

  • Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or
  • Text 838255, or
  • Chat via the chat button on the website, or
  • If you are a veteran, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), then press “1” to speak to someone specially trained and experienced in helping Veterans of all ages and circumstances, or
  • Talk to a counselor in Spanish at 1-888-628-9454, or
  • If you are deaf or hard of hearing, contact the Lifeline via TTY by dialing 800-799-4889
  • If you have lived experience, visit the Lifeline’s lived experience site at lifelineforattemptsurvivors.org.

In addition, the website has a wealth of pages containing helpful information for youth, veterans, LGBTQ+, disaster survivors, loss survivors, professionals, etc.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is funded by a grant from the National Suicide Prevention Initiative (NSPI), a multi-project effort to reduce suicide, led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services.

If you are interested in more of my background, want to review my CV, or are interested in my upcoming trainings, please visit my website at criticalconcepts.org.