The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is just a phone call away for people experiencing any of a myriad of life crises, from a mental health breakdown to the pain of grief to the need for food or shelter.

By dialing 988, a caller is connected to a person trained in crisis intervention who can find the right people to help.

Three of those trained to find help are Frances “Tater” Morgan of Mathews and Shelley Shelton and Alyssa Lutz of Gloucester. The women are dispatchers for the Region 5 Crisis Call Center for the suicide and crisis lifeline.

The call center covers an area from Colonial Beach to Southside Virginia, including the Eastern Shore, and the women have multiple resources available for those seeking help through the system’s computerized Behavioral Health Link. They can reach out to a mental health worker or a team of crisis intervention specialists anyplace in the region, or can contact any sheriff’s office if a situation is dire and someone is in danger.The 988 ...