4 ms·
In these United States, there are now two emergency numbers which can be dialed: 911 and 988, for mental health crises. The last time I removed the SIM from my
by Eleison23 4y ago
In these United States, there are now two emergency numbers which can be dialed: 911 and 988, for mental health crises.
The last time I removed the SIM from my Android phone, I tested 988; unsurprisingly I was not able to contact the service because the phone denied access.
If your phone doesn't recognize 988 as a bona fide, legitimate emergency number, it's time to request a firmware update. 988 has been years in the making, and firmware developers should have made it a priority to put it on the whitelist.
- Eleison23 4y agoI must qualify this by pointing out that I have mixed feelings about the 988 line. It streamlines the hospital pipeline for committing people who are DTS/DTO (5150) status, and let me tell you, that is an easy status to earn or gain. The hospitals profit immensely from admitting mental patients in a way that jails and police don't profit from locking up people who act crazy. Every time there is a mass shooting in these United States, the Legislature swoops in and throws more cash-money at mental health programs. Therefore more mass shootings will tangibly "improve" your mental health care (if improvement is gained from larger budgets) and the more insurance money available, the more crazies they can lock up and the longer they can hold you in the hospital "just to make sure" you're responding well to treatment and that you'll be a permanent customer after your release. So call 988 at your own peril, because the mental health system is a roach motel for many of us. Welcome to the Hotel California.