First choice crisis center follow-up improvement - the first choice crisis center follow-up improvement project expands first choice's efforts to support individuals post-contact to provide…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services) awarded First Choice Services, Inc. $250,000 on September 30, 2026, under the 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Services Programs (CFDA 93.00R).

First Choice Services will expand follow-up support for individuals who contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in West Virginia, with the goal of decreasing suicide, overdose deaths, and future crisis events. The recipient will implement systematic follow-up protocols initiated within 24 hours of referral or care transition, with documented verbal consent, and will assess suicide and overdose risk for a minimum of 90 days and up to 12 months. The project includes capacity-building activities such as training staff to address increasing caller acuity, emerging trends, and veteran-specific needs; enhancing partnerships with mobile crisis teams and first responders; and initiating a workgroup to align the project with state 911/988 integration protocols. First Choice Services will also expand coordination of crisis stabilization, crisis respite, and mobile crisis outreach services across the crisis continuum of care.

The award serves all individuals in West Virginia and projects serving 2,500 callers annually, or 7,500 over the three-year period of performance (September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2029). Place of performance is Charleston, West Virginia.

First choice crisis center follow-up improvement - the first choice crisis center follow-up improvement project expands first choice's efforts to support individuals post-contact to provide continued support/linkages to decrease suicide, deaths by overdose & future crisis events. The geographic area to be reached is west virginia. Addressed capacity development includes training to address increasing caller acuity, emerging trends & veteran needs and enhanced partnerships with mobile crisis teams & first responders. The population of focus that will benefit from capacity building includes all individuals in west virginia. The population to be served includes all individuals in west virginia, an aging state with high rates of mental illness, substance use related and socioeconomic needs. The project will serve 2,500 callers/year or 7,500 over the 3-year project. Strategies/interventions to increase capacity that will be implemented through the grant include: (1) decrease suicide, deaths by overdose and future crisis events in the target population by ensuring the systematic follow-up of suicidal persons who contact the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline by (a) continuing to implement follow-up protocol initiated within 24-hours of referral or care transition that includes documented verbal consent; (B) continuing to conduct follow-up and assess suicide and overdose risk for a minimum of 90-days and up to 12-months; (C) leveraging national and community resources and trainings to enhance the current follow-up protocol; (D) ensuring that project-impacted communities are considered/engaged in overall program planning & (E) initiating a workgroup to ensure project alignment with state 911/988 integration protocols. (2) enhance continuity of care for the target population by expanding enhanced coordination of crisis stabilization, crisis respite, mobile crisis outreach (MCO) response services and other services on the crisis continuum of care by (a) partnering with crisis service providers & organizations which provide ongoing behavioral health & support services following crisis encounters to promote client engagement and recovery; (B) working with behavioral health & support service partners to develop processes for documenting follow-up/engagement while complying with applicable privacy laws/regulations & (C) coordinating with mobile crisis outreach teams to promote crisis DE-escalation and safety planning, tailoring interventions to the needs of clients & their support systems. (3) decrease suicide, deaths by overdose and future crisis events in the target population by reducing unnecessary police, fire and emergency medical services engagement to allow first responders to focus on public safety by (a) holding first responder workgroups to identify how the program can reduce unnecessary first responder engagement & (B) leveraging the agency's sequential intercept model mapping of each west virginia county to identify ways to leverage the project to support first responders. (4) decrease suicide, deaths by overdose and future crisis events in the target population by improving connections to ongoing support and recovery for high-risk populations by (a) establishing relationships with area mobile crisis teams to provide follow-up services around suicide and mental health crises to their clients; (B) providing follow-up services tailored to individuals with substance use issues & (C) obtaining specialized training to improve veteran services. (5) decrease suicide, deaths by overdose & future crisis events in the target population by sustaining program services by (a) creating a sustainability plan for each budget line item to ensure service sustainability; (B) sharing project outcomes with WV's cross-sector 988 steering committee to demonstrate program impact; (C) participating in samhsa's national cross-site evaluation to build an evidence-base for project services & (D) ensuring that the project aligns with samhsa and presidential priorities/policies.