Empact-SPC national 988 follow-up & continuity of care project - the empact-SPC national 988 follow-up & continuity of care project will deliver systematic, 24-hour post-crisis follow-up to 988…

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Empact-Suicide Prevention Center $250,000 on September 30, 2026, under the 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Services Programs (CFDA 93.00R) to deliver systematic post-crisis follow-up and continuity-of-care services to 988 Lifeline callers nationwide.

The project will provide 24-hour structured follow-up to at-risk 988 callers across all 50 states, D.C., and U.S. territories for up to 90 days per contact, using bilingual counselors, risk assessment protocols, and a national referral network to facilitate connections to ongoing behavioral health services. Over the three-year period of performance, the project will screen and follow-up on approximately 1,300 at-risk callers with the goal of reducing suicide risk and mortality. A dual-track model delivers this systematic follow-up to all eligible callers nationally; callers originating in Maricopa County, Arizona (approximately 5 percent of national backup contacts) receive enhanced local services including direct warm referrals into Empact-SPC's mobile crisis, outpatient, and residential treatment services, plus in-kind peer navigation support. Empact-SPC, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, operates four national backup subnetworks (National Backup Voice, National Backup Chat/Text, Spanish Chat, and Spanish Phone) that handle approximately 10,000 crisis contacts monthly. Work is performed at Tempe, Arizona. The project runs through September 29, 2029. This award is a Project Grant, an assistance type.

Empact-SPC national 988 follow-up & continuity of care project - the empact-SPC national 988 follow-up & continuity of care project will deliver systematic, 24-hour post-crisis follow-up to 988 lifeline callers nationwide, reaching all 50 states, D.C., and U.S. Territories, with enhanced local services in maricopa county, arizona. Over three years, the project will screen and follow-up on 1,300 at-risk callers, facilitating referrals to ongoing care, designed to reduce suicide risk and mortality among 988 contacts. Empact-SPC, a 988 lifeline-certified crisis call center and community behavioral health organization headquartered in tempe, arizona, operates four national backup subnetworks: national backup voice, national backup chat/text, spanish chat, and spanish phone, handling approximately 10,000 crisis contacts monthly. Because systematic post-crisis follow-up remains inconsistent across the 988 network, particularly for backup-network callers unknown to their local affiliate, this project builds the staffing and protocols needed to close that GAP nationally. Its dual-track model provides every eligible caller, regardless of location, with individualized follow-up initiated within 24 hours and continuing for up to 90 days, using structured risk assessment, bilingual counselors, and a national referral network. Layered on top, a local enhancement track gives the approximately 5% of national backup contacts originating in maricopa county direct warm referral into empact-SPC's mobile crisis, outpatient, and residential treatment services and access to in-kind peer navigation support. The project's goal is to reduce suicide risk and mortality among individuals who contact 988 in suicidal or psychiatric crisis by providing structured, evidence-informed follow-up and improving connections to ongoing behavioral health services that support long-term recovery - advancing samhsa's strategic priorities of expanding crisis intervention care and improving access to evidence-based treatment. Over the three-year project period, empact-SPC will screen 1,300 individuals for suicide ideation during follow-up contact, refer 650 to crisis or mental health services, and support 190 in successfully accessing care after referral. The population of focus is 988 callers reaching empact-SPC nationwide, including individuals in acute or subacute suicidal crisis, significant psychiatric distress, or CO-occurring substance use emergencies, many from rural, resource-limited, or spanish-speaking communities. Among callers who report demographics, nearly 60% are under age 30, 56% are female and 44% male, and leading presenting concerns are suicidal crisis (about 23%) and anxiety (about 21%); the population eligible for structured follow-up reflects a higher-acuity subset of this base.