A Consensus Approach and Recommendations for the Creation of a Comprehensive Crisis Response System

The plan offers federal and state policymakers a toolkit of tried-and-tested, evidence-based approaches to implement a full continuum of mental health and substance use care. These approaches would support implementation of the 988 crisis hotline, which was approved by the Federal Communications Commission last year as a 3-digit phone number that can be used by people experiencing a behavioral health crisis anywhere in the country. The 988 crisis hotline would replace the current National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.