The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recently developed guidelines for establishing a comprehensive crisis response system for behavioral health. Per these guidelines, a comprehensive system should provide individuals in crisis with “someone to call,” “someone to respond,” and “a place to go” to receive crisis response services. One significant and recent change to the behavioral health crisis response system in the United States is the designation of the 3-digit “988” dialing code to allow anyone to connect with a regional behavioral health crisis response call center at any time. This number became fully operational across all telephone service providers in the United States in July 2022, replacing the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifelife (NSPL) number, which will remain operational 24/7. 988 is intended to improve public awareness of an immediate means to behavioral health crisis services. The Federal government supports crisis response systems through a variety of financing sources including formula block grants, Medicaid, Medicare, VA/DOD, and one-time Congressionally directed appropriations that are disseminated through discretionary block grants, cooperative agreements, programs, and demonstrations. The implementation of 988, along with the anticipated subsequent increase in crisis service utilization across the continuum, has prompted additional targeted funding for crisis services. However, there is a need for greater understanding around the interplay of these shifts in the behavioral health crisis system and the way in which it is funded. This project examines recent changes and trends in Federal funding sources to support behavioral health crisis services.
This research was compiled or funded by HHS/ASPE’s Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, and Aging Policy (BHDAP). Additional research in this area is available at the ASPE Behavioral Health page.
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