If you’re a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive 24/7, confidential support. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect. To reach responders, Dial 988 then Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text 838255.
No Veteran should go through a crisis alone. The Veterans Crisis Line links Veterans to real people specially trained to help you through any challenge.
Care doesn’t have to end when the call, chat, or text is over. Our responders can connect you with resources, including your local suicide prevention coordinator (SPC). Available in each VA medical center across the country, SPCs ensure Veterans can access the counseling, services, and programs you need.
No matter when, where, or how you served. No matter your discharge status. No matter what you’re experiencing. The Veterans Crisis Line is for all Veterans.
Launched in 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line started with 14 trained responders working out of a call center in Canandaigua, N.Y. It’s grown to include an online chat and text service with 1,100 responders in 3 call center locations.
Responders are also available 24/7 to help active-duty service members and their families and friends through a crisis. Service members, including members of the National Guard and Reserves, along with their loved ones, can Dial 988 then Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net, or text to 838255 to receive free, confidential support.
Though immediate crisis support is its primary goal, the Veterans Crisis Line offers a range of programs. Our most recent initiatives build on the idea that support should be available after a Veteran’s initial contact with the Veterans Crisis Line:
Caring Letters: This program focuses on mailing 8 letters over 1 year to Veterans who contact the Veterans Crisis Line. Veterans who receive letters which express caring concern, report feeling appreciated, cared for, supported, connected, reassured, encouraged, validated, heard, and seen after getting the letters. Designed to be nondemanding and reflect Veterans’ unique preferences, each letter gives Veterans the option to opt out of the program. Since its launch in June 2020, the Caring Letters program has mailed over 2.7 million letters to more than 359,000 individual Veterans, with over 235,000 Veterans completing the full 12-month intervention.
Peer Support Outreach Call Center: This center is staffed by trained Veterans who proactively reach out to Veterans Crisis Line callers who might benefit from additional intervention. Studies show that Veterans who have peer mentors are more likely to keep their VA appointments, access additional treatment methods, and meet other important health benchmarks. With this in mind, peer specialists give Veterans a sense of empowerment, help reduce barriers to care, and provide guidance on self-help and goal setting.
The Veterans Crisis Line continues to grow and evolve to find the most effective ways to serve Veterans and their loved ones.