NAMI Urges Swift Action to Reimagine Crisis Response Ahead of 988 Launch Next Year News provided by Share this article Share this article ARLINGTON, Va., July 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) today is calling upon policymakers at all levels to ensure the necessary resources are in place before July 16, 2022, when the three-digit number, 988, must be available for suicidal and mental health crises. 988 will serve as an alternative to calling 911 in a mental health emergency. "Far too often, people in a mental health crisis receive an inadequate and even harmful response, which frequently involves law enforcement," said NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison Jr. "One year from today, 988 will be available across the nation for people experiencing a mental health or suicidal crisis. But to realize the promise of 988 to provide a mental health response — not a law enforcement response — to mental health crises, we need significant action by federal, state and local policymakers.