DSS - South Dakota Department of Social Services
09/02/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/02/2025 13:15
988 Day to be Celebrated with Art Installations, Success Stories
The goal of 988 Day is to raise awareness about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline through a variety of creative activities spearheaded by communities, organizations, and individuals.
Date published: 09/02/2025
SIOUX FALLS - The Department of Social Services (DSS) and its partner The Helpline Center are joining caregivers and advocates from across the nation to celebrate 988 Day on Sept. 8, 2025.
The goal of 988 Day is to raise awareness about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline through a variety of creative activities spearheaded by communities, organizations, and individuals. In South Dakota, 3D art pieces are being installed in high visibility locations in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Vermillion, and Brookings.
"988 Day recognizes how a simple three-digit number has transformed how people reach out for help for any mental health or substance use concern," said Janet Kittams, chief executive officer at the Helpline Center. "The Helpline Center is proud to have been a part of the 988 success that has offered help and home to thousands of South Dakotans over the past three years."
While 988 is available nationally, the network relies on each state to erect its own mental health resources to ensure crisis services are available. In South Dakota, The Helpline Center, a South Dakota-based 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Center, provides 24/7 access to Master's-level trained mental health professionals. Text and chat services are also available.
Since the launch of 988 in July of 2022, more than 37,000 calls, texts, and chats have been answered by mental health counselors in South Dakota. More than 97 percent of 988 contacts were stabilized and didn't require additional intervention.
"Through the volume of calls and utilization, 988 has shown that it is an invaluable resource that can be accessed by any person in our state," said DSS Cabinet Secretary Matt Althoff. "We hope South Dakotans see 988 as an asset to our communities and a lifeline for those who feel isolated, who are thinking of ways of hurting themselves, or who are experiencing a personal crisis,"
The 2025 theme of 988 Day is "Compassionate Help. Anytime. Anywhere," which conveys the heart of what 988 is all about - empathy, accessibility, and reliability. The more than 15,000 counselors working nationwide continue to help reduce barriers and stigma around seeking support for mental health challenges, alcohol and drug use problems, emotional distress, or loneliness.
In South Dakota, the 988 service is working. There has been a 239 percent increase in contacts from the first month (502 contacts in August 2022) to July 2025 (1,706 contacts). It has a 24/7/365 solution of Master's level counselors in place ready to respond to persons who reach out.
For more information about 988 and The Helpline Center, visit https://www.helplinecenter.org/9-8-8/.
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The South Dakota Department of Social Services is dedicated to strengthening families to foster health, wellbeing, and independence. For more information, please visit dss.sd.gov.
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