9-8-8 is a direct three-digit line to trained National Suicide Prevention Lifeline counselors. Awarded a Vibrant Emotional Health’s National Suicide Prevention Grant, the Nevada Department of Health’s Bureau of Behavioral Health Wellness and Prevention (BBHWP) has started development of a thoughtful plan for the key coordination of strategies to best support the launch of 9-8-8. The Lifeline will launch in every state as a permanent emergency line.
Explained plainly, when you’ve got a police or fire emergency, you call 9-1-1 when you have an urgent mental health need, you’ll call 9-8-8. This hotline will be universally accessible to the entire nation, and was inspired by the over 2 million people who used the lifeline in 2020.
David Kohlmeier, retired officer and Executive Producer/Host of The Problem Solver Show and podcasts supports the launch, siting his experience as a policeman with cases involving suicide victims and their families. Kohlmeier will be discussing the 3-digit Lifeline on his television show, The Problem Solver, which airs every Tuesday at 6PM, on Cox channel 14. Topics include noticing early warning signs, what to do if someone exhibits suicidal tendencies or ideations, and how to go about receiving grief counseling.
For more information, contact the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services,
or David Kohlmeier at 702-999-1111
or visit https://dhhs.nv.gov/ or www.theproblemsolver.vegas