Maine DHHS: Recognizing the Second Annual 988 Day of Action

Sep 08, 2025

"Compassionate Help. Anytime. Anywhere."

On September 8, Maine joins the nation in recognizing the second annual 988 Day of Action -- a day dedicated to raising awareness of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This growing tradition encourages communities, organizations, and individuals to spread the word about how to access compassionate mental health and crisis support.

What is 988, and how does it work in Maine?

• 988 is a free, confidential, 24/7 number for suicide prevention and crisis support. (988maine.com)

• Calls from Maine are answered by the Maine Crisis Line (MCL).

• Texts to 988 or chats through the national 988 site may initially connect with a national contact center, but staff can link to the Maine Crisis Line if needed.
• Crisis Support Specialists introduce themselves, check on safety, listen with empathy, and help identify next steps. This may include connection to local mobile crisis teams or referrals to other supports in the community.
• Callers can remain anonymous. Sharing your name or location is optional.

In Maine, thousands of crisis calls, chats and texts are answered every month, reflecting both the need for and the trust in this resource. In the past year, over 150,000 contacts have been answered by Maine's crisis hotlines, an increase of 22% over the previous year.

Why 988 Matters -- and Why 988 Day Matters

The 2025 theme, "Compassionate Help. Anytime. Anywhere." reflects the heart of what 988 is all about -- providing empathetic, accessible, and consistent support to all Mainers.

Key benefits of 988 include:

• Lowering barriers to immediate care with an easy-to-remember number.
• Connecting callers with crisis specialists who understand Maine's communities and local resources.
• Addressing a wide range of concerns, from emotional distress and loneliness to substance use and thoughts of self-harm.
• Offering follow-up support and connections to mobile crisis teams, behavioral health services, and community-based resources.
• Reducing stigma by normalizing conversations about mental health, suicide and crisis support.

Take Action on 9/8 and Beyond

988 Day is a call to action. Mainers can get involved by:

• Spreading awareness and reducing stigma--988 Day is a perfect time to leverage social media platforms. Downloadable posts and resources are available here: 988maine.com/resources.
• Sharing information about 988 with their own professional and personal networks.
• Encouraging open conversation about mental health and crisis services.
• Highlighting local initiatives through events, signage, workplace and school activities.
• Visit the national 988 Day website for more ideas on how to get involved

A Final Reminder

988 offers judgment-free, compassionate support for anyone in Maine experiencing emotional distress, mental health challenges, problems with substance use, loneliness, or thoughts of suicide or self-harm. Visit the 988 Maine website for more information about what you can expect when reaching out to 988 via phone, text, or chat.

988 Day of Action highlights the importance of making sure that compassionate, local care is always within reach -- anytime, anywhere.