About

CALL 988 offers high-quality emergency emotional support to residents in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, and Carroll County. Anyone who calls the national 988 phone number from this region will immediately be connected to local call centers for safe, supportive and confidential mental health services.

Over time, the new national 988 number will serve as an alternative to calling 911 or going to the Emergency Department for emergency emotional support and will make access to mental health care in the community easier.

CALL 988 is operated by a partnership of Baltimore Crisis Response, Affiliated Santé Group, and Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center. Oversight for the regional helpline is provided by Behavioral Health System Baltimore and behavioral health authorities in Baltimore, Carroll, and Howard Counties.

Local helplines have been providing access to mental health care for more than 20 years in Maryland. Helpline services have been shown to reduce depression and suicidal thoughts while increasing feelings of hope. Most callers can be served on the phone without involving community interventions by other first responders.

Sparked by the long-planned launch of the national 988 number, state and local government, care providers, and nonprofit organizations have worked together to build an integrated regional system that ensures everyone in our community has access to the help and support they need to be mentally healthy.