SAMHSA Selects Banyan to Support National Awareness for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
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Banyan Communications has been selected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support national awareness of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, helping more people know where to turn when they need support.
Since launching in July 2022, the 988 Lifeline has received more than 25 million calls, texts, chats and ASL videophone contacts from people seeking support, according to SAMHSA. That reach matters. But so does the scale of the need.
According to SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 14.3 million U.S. adults had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year. Another 4.6 million made a suicide plan and 2.2 million attempted suicide.
Too many people still don't fully understand what 988 is, when to use it or what to expect when they reach out. Others confuse it with 911 or hesitate to call at all. Our job is to help close that gap.
Banyan will lead this work, bringing formative research, strategic communications, digital and social media, media buying, evaluation, and community engagement together under one national strategy. The work will focus on reaching people at the moments they need 988 most, in the communities where awareness and trust gaps run deepest. Our strategy is grounded in experience.
Banyan has spent three decades helping federal health agencies reach people in the hardest moments of their lives, including years of suicide, overdose, and violence prevention work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, trauma-informed care initiatives with SAMHSA, and crisis-line outreach for the Health Resources and Services Administration. When Banyan's campaign for HRSA's National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is running, the Hotline receives an average of 57 percent more contacts each month.
We're grateful to SAMHSA for trusting Banyan with this work. We look forward to helping more people understand that when they need support, 988 is there and someone will answer.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential support 24/7/365. Call or text 988, or chat online to connect with a trained crisis counselor. You are not alone.
10/07/2026
