The U.S. is shifting nationwide to 988 as the new helpline number for mental health crisis.

Starting July 16, people will be able to text or call this number for immediate help.

For the hotline, operators will be trained in how to counsel callers and dispatch mobile crisis teams and others trained in mental health services.

Health officials hope this new, shorter number will be easier to remember during emergencies, ease mental health stigma, and limit the intervention of armed law enforcement.

While 988 will replace the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, that number will continue to function and direct people to needed resources.

This shift to 988 is considered a significant step in decades to responding to people in mental health distress.

Officials expect the number of calls to the new number to increase, since it's shorter and easier to remember, but some are concerned states aren't equipped to handle the rise in callers.

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