Crisis line services
The front door to a 24/7 crisis response system
In a moment of crisis, when every second counts, reaching someone knowledgeable and compassionate can make all the difference. Our regional, statewide, and nationwide crisis contact centers provide a “front door” to a responsive crisis system.
With just a call, text, or online chat, a connection is made with a crisis specialist or licensed clinician who listens closely, assesses the situation, and provides support. When needed, a mobile crisis response team or emergency service is quickly contacted and sent to the scene to ensure everyone’s safety.
Lines of business
- Commercial
- Employer
- Medicaid
- Public sector
- State agency
Built on a foundation of existing local resources
Our program meets National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) standards and is accredited by the American Association of Suicidology (AAS). We offer services rooted in existing local resources to improve availability and expand service capabilities. By doing this, we can:
- Evaluate the level of risk.
- Coordinate a handoff to stabilization and recovery services.
- Reduce unnecessary visits to emergency departments, inpatient psychiatric units, detention centers, and residential treatment centers.
- Help individuals access ongoing support.
- Maintain individuals in their communities and promote safe behavior.
- Provide oversight for the effective use of resources, consistency of response, and quality improvement.
- Track key performance indicators for crisis line and mobile responses.
Essential crisis competencies
To ensure effective crisis response systems, we follow these crucial core competencies:
- Person-centered, culturally relevant, and collaborative practices.
- Strength-based care.
- Resolution-focused responses.
- Service delivery that promotes partnerships and seamless transitions while minimizing harm.
We put core competencies into action throughout the crisis service delivery system to
Address recovery needs
Leverage the role of peers
Offer trauma-informed and equitable care
Establish partnerships with law enforcement and first responders
Provide suicide-safer care
Ensure the safety of people in crisis
What happens when a person contacts the crisis line service?
We follow these steps when a person contacts the 1-800 front door or the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline through a call, text, or online chat:
1. Safety assessment and de-escalation
Clinically trained crisis specialists actively engage to assess the person's safety. They consult local resources for problem-solving, de-escalation, and referral options.
2. Appropriate response
When de-escalation is successful, we provide referrals to clinical providers, community and peer resources, and additional support. We conduct follow-up calls to individuals when needed.
If the initial de-escalation is unsuccessful, a community safety assessment is performed to determine the appropriate level of mobile crisis response with or without active rescue.
3. Field interventions
When the mobile response de-escalation is successful, the team connects the person in crisis to an appropriate referral.
If the mobile response is insufficient, a higher level of care or emergency service is employed to ensure the individual’s safety.
We are proud to support the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Launched in July 2022, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides trained counselors who will listen, understand how a caller’s problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources they need.
We played a significant role in implementation by operating one of the largest national text and chat centers for English-speaking individuals. Our trained counselors also supported the launch of text and chat support for Spanish-speaking individuals.
