SAMHSA Releases “From Crisis to Care: Building from 988 and Beyond for Better Mental Health Outcomes”

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released From Crisis to Care: Building from 988 and Beyond for Better Mental Health Outcomes a series of ten technical assistance collaborative papers providing important resources for state leaders, policy makers, providers, peers and others to learn from examples around the country and hear from thought leaders about innovative services and the need for further 988 implementation. The work is a result of longstanding and rich collaboration between SAMHSA and the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD).

The papers together provide key information to help build services “beyond beds” to establish a continuum of care that can prevent crisis from occurring and also provide a safety net for care of people who have experienced behavioral health crises. Topics presented in this series were selected from issues that arise for mental health system leaders and each paper is designed to provide highlights and recommendations for states to consider. The papers can provide guidance within the state behavioral health authority leadership teams to help drive policy and practice, promote funding to meet the ongoing needs in system infrastructure, assist in developing the necessary mental health workforce, and promote learning about the behavioral health system for legislators.

The critical topics covered in this series are available individually here and include:

  1. From Crisis to Care: Building from 988 and Beyond for Better Mental Health Outcomes
  2. Trends in Psychiatric Inpatient Capacity, United States and Each State, 1970 to 2018
  3. Telling the Story: Data, Dashboards, & the Mental Health Crisis Continuum
  4. A Safe Place to Be: Crisis Stabilization Services and Other Supports for Children and Youth
  5. Innovation and Determination: How Three States Are Achieving Comprehensive, Coordinated and Sustainable Behavioral Health Crisis Systems
  6. Climate-Related Disasters: Understanding the Causes, Consequences, and Interventions to Protect Community Mental Health
  7. Crisis in Services: Self-Care, Self-Directed Care, and the Use of Technology Supporting All
  8. The Role of Supportive Housing, Case Management, and Employment Services in Reducing the Risk of Behavioral Health Crisis
  9. Responding to and Preventing Crises: CCBHCs, Urgent Care and an Example of One Health System in Maryland and its Approach to Crisis Services within an Accessible Psychiatric Care Continuum
  10. Lending Hands: Improving Partnerships and Coordinated Practices between Behavioral Health, Police, and other First Responders