Well, howdy there internet people, Elisboe again. So today we're going to talk about a new

number, everybody in the United States needs to memorize.

Even though right now as it's being rolled out, it is not yet what it will soon be.

It's a first step and it's a good first step and eventually this is going to be something that is going to save a lot of lives.

The number is 988 and it will be 911 but for mental health. As it rolls out

I actually think it's active now, you will be connected to counselors.

And this is at least for the moment heavily aimed at suicide prevention.

But as time goes on, they appear to be gearing up to add other services.

Right now, it's a counselor on the phone. They have plans for mobile care units. So rather than

dialing 911 and sending the cops to somebody's house, well you can send to

counselors. This is a good thing. This is something that's been needed. There was a lot of

campaigning around the idea of taking some responsibilities away from law

enforcement, lightening their load, so to speak, and putting it into the hands

of people who might be a little bit more trained or educated on that topic. This is the first step to doing it.

The United States government is devoting, I want to say like a quarter billion dollars to this

to kind of build up these capabilities.

The idea is to eventually also have

what amounts to like the little county clinics that exist but for mental health.

So there's an in-person place that you can go to.

In a country that... place that you can go to.

In a country that has a very long history of just ignoring mental health,

this is a very hopeful sign.

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