Title page 1

Contents 3

Highlights 2

Letter 6

Background 9

History of the 988 Lifeline 9

Structure of the 988 Lifeline Network 10

Funding for the 988 Lifeline 11

988 Lifeline Routing Depends on Contact Method and Type of Service Sought 13

Overall Volume Increased from July 2022 through September 2025 While Answer Rate and Average Time to Answer Varied by Contact Method 20

SAMHSA Measures 988 Lifeline Capacity through Contact Volume, Answer Rate, and Average Time to Answer 20

Overall Contact Volume for the 988 Lifeline Increased and Local Crisis Contact Centers Answered a Larger Share of Contacts over Time 21

Answer Rates for Calls Generally Increased and Fluctuated for Texts and Chats; Average Time to Answer Varied across Contact Methods 27

SAMHSA Incorporated Selected Key Practices in Assessing the 988 Lifeline's Routing and Capacity 30

Selected States Reported Staffing and Other Challenges; States, the Network Administrator, and SAMHSA Took Actions to Support Capacity 33

Selected States Reported Staffing, Funding, and Other 988 Lifeline Challenges 33

States, the Network Administrator, and SAMHSA Reported Changes to Staffing Processes and Other Actions to Support Capacity 35

Agency Comments 38

Appendix I: 988 Lifeline Data Methodology 39

Appendix II: Contact Volume, Answer Rates, and Average Time to Answer for the 988 Lifeline's Videophone Service 42

Appendix III: Additional Information on Capacity Measures by 988 Lifeline Service Type 45

Appendix IV: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 58

Table 1. Selected SAMHSA Cooperative Agreements (Dollars in Millions) for the 988 Lifeline, Fiscal Years (FY) 2021 through 2025 12

Table 2. Measures SAMHSA and the Network Administrator Use to Assess Capacity of the 988 Lifeline 20

Figure 1. History of the 988 Lifeline 10

Figure 2. Routing Processes for Calls to the 988 Lifeline, as of March 2026 14

Figure 3. Routing Processes for Texts and Chats to the 988 Lifeline, as of March 2026 16

Figure 4. Information Used to Route Contacts to Local Crisis Contact Centers, as of March 2026 18

Figure 5. Contact Volume by Contact Method for the 988 Lifeline Overall, July 2022 through September 2025 22

Figure 6. Number of Calls Answered and Abandoned for the 988 Lifeline Overall, July 2022 through September 2025 24

Figure 7. Number of Texts Answered and Abandoned for the 988 Lifeline Overall, July 2022 through September 2025 25

Figure 8. Number of Chats Answered and Abandoned for the 988 Lifeline Overall, July 2022 through September 2025 26

Figure 9. Answer Rate by Contact Method for the 988 Lifeline Overall, July 2022 through September 2025 28

Figure 10. Average Time to Answer by Contact Method for the 988 Lifeline Overall, July 2022 through September 2025 29

Figure 11. Videophone Call Volume for the 988 Lifeline, July 2022 through September 2025 42

Figure 12. Answer Rates for the 988 Lifeline's Videophone Service, July 2022 through September 2025 43

Figure 13. Average Time to Answer for the 988 Lifeline's Videophone Service, July 2022 through September 2025 44

Figure 14. Contact Volume by Contact Method for the 988 Lifeline's LGBTQ+ Youth and Young Adult Service, July 2022 through September 2025 47

Figure 15. Answer Rates by Contact Method for the 988 Lifeline's LGBTQ+ Youth and Young Adult Service, July 2022 through September 2025 48

Figure 16. Average Time to Answer by Contact Method for the 988 Lifeline LGBTQ+ Youth and Young Adult Service, July 2022 through September 2025 50

Figure 17. Contact Volume by Contact Method for the 988 Lifeline Spanish Language Service, July 2022 through September 2025 51

Figure 18. Answer Rates by Contact Method for the 988 Lifeline Spanish Language Service, July 2022 through September 2025 52

Figure 19. Average Time to Answer by Contact Method for the 988 Lifeline Spanish Language Service, July 2022 through September 2025 53

Figure 20. Contact Volume by Contact Method for the 988 Lifeline National Backup Service, July 2022 through September 2025 55

Figure 21. Answer Rates by Contact Method for the 988 Lifeline National Backup Service, July 2022 through September 2025 56

Figure 22. Average Time to Answer by Contact Method for the 988 Lifeline National Backup Service, July 2022 through September 2025 57