Philadelphia 988 Reaches One Year Anniversary

One year ago, federal officials, including U.S. Department of Health and Human Secretary Xavier Becerra, joined Mayor Kenny, DBHIDS Commissioner Jill Bowen, and others to announce the nationwide launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a mental health service line modeled on the national 911 emergency hotline.

At a press conference on July 14, 2023, in the Mayor's Reception Room in Philadelphia City Hall, Mary Horstmann, Managing Director for Health and Human Services, Office of the Managing Director, Kendra Brooks, City Council Member Jill Bowen, Commissioner, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), Jean Bennett, Ph.D., Regional Director (Region 3), SAMSHA, John White, President/CEO, The Consortium (provider), and Marie Kearns, Ph.D., Behavioral Health Director, Path, Inc. (provider) were in attendance to commemorate the first anniversary of this lifesaving service and to report on data and other 988-related initiatives that have been placed since last year.