National Suicide Prevention Plan Includes 988 Call Monitoring and Evaluation
Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will build a system for monitoring 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline contacts and evaluate outcomes as a way of supporting quality improvement, HHS said Tuesday. That was among…
an array of 988-related federal government pledges in HHS' national suicide prevention strategy and action plans, released Tuesday. The action plan said Housing and Urban Development will disseminate communications and educational material, including information about 988, to housing counseling grantees, fair housing grantees, homeless services organizations and public housing authorities. It said HHS would work with other federal agencies involved in suicide prevention to share information about 988 and other resources at monthly meetings with tribal community officials. It said HHS also would provide support for people diagnosed with both intellectual and developmental disabilities in accessing behavioral health crisis services through 988 centers. In addition, SAMHSA will fund a mobile crisis team locator for 988 centers and the Veterans Crisis Line, as well as develop a toolkit on 988/911 coordination. It said SAMHSA would work with others including the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and the National Association of State 911 Administrators to increase the number of states with established processes. Moreover, it will collaborate to increase the number of 911 diversion programs to 988 centers. The strategy's recommendations include raising awareness of 988 and other crisis services "with communications that are grounded in the principles of health equity and cultural sensitivity" and greater local collaboration and coordination between 988 call centers and 911 public safety answering points, as well as with police, fire and emergency medical services. The strategy also recommends ensuring 988 crisis counselors "provide effective suicide prevention services to all users, including those with substance use disorders."