Who Do We Help?
We help people out of crisis
We help people with thoughts of suicide or anxiety
We help people with their mental and emotional health
We help people with recovery resources for substance use
When Should You Contact 988?
When you feel stress, sadness, anxiety, or loneliness and those feelings begin to interfere with your appetite, sleep, work or school.
When you have dependency on alcohol or drugs, and you feel like you’ll never be free from the desire to use.
If you are experiencing emotional or physical harm whether you have caused yourself harm or someone else has caused you harm.
Your call is safe and confidential
What Are Signs of Crisis?
Sometimes something feels wrong, and you can’t explain why. You may feel hopeless, panicked, trapped, empty or in so much pain, nothing seems to help. This is the right time to pick up on the phone and call someone. At Hawai‘i CARES 988, we will always answer.
It may not be you struggling. Someone you care about may be acting differently. Maybe their mood has changed drastically; maybe they’ve withdrawn from relationships; perhaps they’ve stopped sleeping or, the opposite, they can’t get out of bed; maybe they’ve started getting rid of things you know are special to them. These could all be warning signs of crisis.
If you’re worried, don’t wait. Give us a call for advice, or give your loved one our number with the message that you—and we—are here for them if they want to talk.
What to Expect When You Call
When you call us, you’ll be greeted by a local Hawai‘i CARES 988 crisis counselor who will ask whether you have an urgent crisis or need non-urgent support.
Next, the Hawai‘i CARES 988 crisis counselor will ask you a few questions to get to know you and your specific situation.
For example, you may be asked for your name, age, and any health conditions we should know about. You may also be asked about your location, situation and what you’ve been going through.
Your call is secure and confidential. We encourage you to share details that will help address your needs.
Based on our conversation, we will help you figure out next steps.
We will link you with community supports that address your needs including, if appropriate, arranging for a Crisis Mobile Outreach (CMO) worker to meet with you in person.
