The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shares on its website: “Beginning July 16, 2022, 988 will be the new three-digit dialing code connecting people to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, where compassionate, accessible care and support is available for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress—whether that is thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.”
Each state is charged with implementing the 988 number and the associated services. The Department of Mental Health spearheads Mississippi’s planning coalition. Linked here is the coalition’s draft plan. Last week the Department hosted a virtual community forum for individuals and families with lived experience. Here is the feedback that Families as Allies shared:
- People receiving services, including youth and their families, must be fully integrated into 988 planning. All committees and groups should include youth, adults and families with lived experience. Planning meetings should be publicized and have time for public comments. We appreciate that the minutes of 988 planning meetings are publicly available on DMH’s 988 webpage.
- People receiving services and their families should be integrated into all aspects of crisis service delivery. Individuals receiving services and their family members can serve on crisis teams and staff hotlines, run peer-led crisis programs, and perform outreach and follow-up. Both youth and families can help ensure that language and approaches are culturally and linguistically responsive.
- Children and youth have different needs than adults. An effective crisis system must reflect this. People who have expertise with children and families, as well as youth and parent-peer supporters, should be on the crisis team, and the crisis response system for children and youth should include:
- People knowledgeable about education issues and best practices in mental health consultation for schools. Many crises arise at school and should be resolved in ways that keep children in their classrooms and minimize learning disruptions.
- Support for front-line providers who work with children, including children’s primary care providers and emergency room personnel. Families prefer to get support from providers they already know and can access. Child Psychiatry Access Programs such as the CHAMP Project could be key partners in this effort.
- An emphasis on keeping children and youth in their homes and communities. Almost all children do better in their homes with their families. When a child or youth absolutely must come out of their home during a crisis, home-like settings, such as therapeutic foster care, should be used.
- Collaboration with high-fidelity wraparound. High-fidelity wraparound integrates an effective model of crisis planning. It also provides natural and intensive supports to help children and families in crisis. The system should incorporate informal supports that families want and a wide array of evidence-based clinical services.
Our recommendations are informed by feedback from families and published expert recommendations about 988 and children. These include Improving the Child and Adolescent Crisis System: Moving from a 911 to a 988 culture, a presentation by Sharon Hoover, Ph.D. of the University of Maryland School of Medicine at the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Annual Meeting in July 2020 and a letter from the University of Maryland School of Social Work Institute for Innovation and Implementation to the US Senate Finance Committee.
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