Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law on Monday, September 9, 2024 The Student Lifeline Act that requires New York colleges to print information about the state’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on all student ID cards

More than 478,388 calls and 75,661 texts and chats have been directly routed to New York’s 988 Crisis Contact Centers since 2022, including nearly 77,000 calls from former service members connected directly via 988’s dedicated Veteran’s Crisis Line, according to Hochul’s office.

The timing also coincides with Suicide Prevention Month (September). More than 1,700 New Yorkers died by suicide in 2022 and it’s the second leading cause of death among people aged 25-34 and the third leading cause of death for youth and young adults aged 10-24, Hochul said.

NAMI Roc’s Executive Director and CEO, Donna Leigh-Estes, supports the bill and said, “NAMI Rochester fully supports and applauds Governor Hochul for signing The Student Lifeline Act, an important bill, passed by the State Legislature, that requires all college campuses in New York State to add988, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number on the back of all Student ID badges. This adds a critical layer of protection for all students who attend colleges in the State of New York. 988 Lifeline provides students the ability to call, text or chat immediately, anytime they need support or help. They should not have to wait until they get to the point of having suicide ideation or taking their lives by suicide. They will now have immediate access to 988 when they are having a difficult day, are experiencing feelings of loneliness, or are feeling anxious or overwhelmed, as college students can often feel, but don’t want to discuss it with family or peers. 988 Student Lifeline is now their safety-net and layer of protection immediately available at their fingertips 24/7.”

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides immediate and real-time 24/7/365 call, chat, and texting support to anyone thinking about suicide, struggling with substance abuse or experiencing a mental health crisis. Learn more about the lifeline here >