988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
On July 16, 2022, the United States transitioned to the new three-digit dialing code 988 to reach crisis support.?The change is part of a nationwide effort to transition the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline?(the Lifeline) to a phone number people can more easily remember and access in times of crisis.?The shift also includes an online chat feature and new texting option.
The new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline code will serve as a universal entry point, so people can reach a trained crisis counselor who can help regardless of where they live. Anyone can dial or text 988 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to reach crisis support or to use an online chat feature to connect with crisis support. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
For more information, including resources to support mental well-being during COVID-19, visit?Mental Health and Well-being.
COVID-19 Stories of Community Outreach and Partnership
COVID-19 Stories of Community Outreach and Partnership?highlight the efforts of our staff in collaboration with community partners during the COVID-19 response. Some stories provide insight into how this work is done, others discuss what challenges our teams face, but all of them recognize how COVID-19 has pushed MDH to try new strategies so we can fulfill our mission of protecting, maintaining, and improving the health of all Minnesotans.
Masking Up with the Disability Community
In a community, connections are everything. Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic took away many of the opportunities for the connections that had been built in communities across our state. For the disability community, many connections, advocacy, and support for people with disabilities and their caregivers disappeared during the pandemic, leaving them vulnerable to both COVID-19 and a host of other mental and physical health issues.
Through internal and external advocacy by people in the disability community, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) created a People with Disabilities Unit as part of its COVID-19 response. The team provides ongoing assessment, community engagement, guidance development, and other critical work related to supporting persons with disabilities in the COVID-19 response.
Guidance and Resources
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NOTE:?Look for an "Updated" date below guidance links on our website to know when the resource was last revised.
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