Nationwide Mental Health Crisis and Suicide Prevention Number is now available 9-8-8

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that it has for formally designating 9-8-8 as a nationwide three-digit number for mental health crisis and suicide prevention services.

The new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is modeled after 9-1-1 and is designed to quickly connect people who are suicidal or in any other mental health crisis to a trained mental health professional.

The 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline will connect people to the existing network of more than 200 local crisis call centers around the country. People who call or text the number will be connected to a trained counselor at a crisis center closest to them. If a local crisis center is too busy to respond right away, the call gets routed to one of 16 backup centers around the country.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s 10-digit number — 1-800-273-8255 — will remain active, but calls will be routed to 9-8-8. More details are available online at 988lifeline.org.

This fall, Charleston School of Law will be launching a new Student Wellness and Success program. The office is located on the second floor of 385 Meeting Street. 

“Wellness and student mental health are priorities for our school and the South Carolina Bar, and the American Bar Association,” said Dean Larry Cunningham. “Law schools around the country are seeing more and more students with increasingly complex and severe challenges in their personal lives. By helping students acclimate healthily to law school and the profession, we will help them become successful and balanced students and attorneys.”

CHARLESTON SCHOOL OF LAW QUICK FACTS

The Charleston School of Law is an ABA-accredited law school nationally recognized for its student-centric culture. Our faculty and staff are committed to preparing you for success both in the classroom and in the legal profession.

  • The Princeton Review ranks Charleston School of Law professors second in the country for faculty accessibility (2021)
  • Charleston School of Law faculty ranked among the top of The Princeton Review’s list of Best Professors in the nation (2016-2018)
  • Experiential Learning: Charleston School of Law students have access to about more than 150 externship sites, creating opportunities for experiential learning in the legal field.
  • Community Service: Charleston School of Law students have performed more than 241,000 community service hours (2004-current).
  • Students have won the National Tax Moot Court Championship for seven consecutive years (2012-2018)

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