In a national news report, officials say that since 988 was unveiled to the public earlier this year, calls have increased 15% in just one months time. The hotline was created to give easier access to people seeking help who are thinking about suicide. A representative of Kern Behavioral Health and Human Services says that she expects this number to double in a short amount of time. This means that 988 will require more staffers to handle the expected volume of calls. You can either call or text the 988 number to be connected to a counselor 24 hours a day.