From nami.org | Jul 31, 2025 |
Arlington, VA — The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) believes the best response to a person in a mental health crisis is connection to local resources. NAMI is grateful to the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) decision on July 24 to improve local connection by voting to require all wireless phone carriers to implement georouting for texts sent to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
“Since before 988 was even formally available, the FCC has been a critical leader in helping the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline reach its full potential,” said Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI’s Chief Advocacy Officer. “A person in crisis deserves access to all of the support available in their community, and connecting them to the nearest 988 center is central to doing just that. NAMI is grateful to FCC Chairman Carr and the FCC Commissioners for their continued focus and leadership on this important issue.”
NAMI has led the mental health community’s advocacy to push for georouting — the process by which a person who contacts 988 is connected to the nearest 988 call center without disclosing any exact location information. Last fall, NAMI celebrated the FCC for requiring georouting of calls to 988. This new order will now also require georouting of text messages to 988.
The new order requires nationwide carriers, which cover most mobile phone customers, to georoute text messages within 18 months. Smaller regional carriers have up to 36 months to implement georouting for text messages. Standards for crisis care reinforce that contacts to 988 should be answered locally, so help seekers can be directed to local resources.
The order also includes a requirement that in the event the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is reorganized or its responsibilities are transferred, a successor agency will be expected to carry out 988-related duties to prevent service interruption. This acknowledges a current effort by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to form the Administration for a Healthy America, which would absorb several departments within HHS, including SAMHSA — a proposal that concerns NAMI.
NAMI urges all U.S. carriers to act swiftly ahead of the timelines required by the FCC to help people within their networks access local crisis support via text messaging.
