Frontier health (988 & CO-response) and law enforcement collaboration - frontier health (FH) proposes the frontier health (988 & CO-response) and law enforcement collaboration to strengthen washington…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Frontier Health $249,999 on September 30, 2026, under the 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Services Programs (CFDA 93.00R) to expand post-crisis follow-up services in Washington County, Tennessee.

Frontier Health will deploy two crisis co-response therapists, a project director, and a data administrator to provide documented follow-up beginning within 24 hours of referral or care transition for individuals experiencing suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, serious mental illness, substance use crises, co-occurring disorders, overdose risk, and other behavioral health emergencies. Clinical services will incorporate comprehensive suicide and overdose risk assessment, the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), safety planning intervention, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, solution-focused therapy, care coordination, warm handoffs, and referral to the least restrictive clinically appropriate level of care. Follow-up will continue for a minimum of 90 days, with services extended up to 12 months based on clinical need and documented verbal or written consent. The project serves individuals of all ages who enter the crisis system through the regional 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 911 Public Safety Answering Points, law enforcement, Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams, emergency departments, emergency medical services, and other behavioral health referral sources, building upon Frontier Health's established co-response program and partnership with the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

Performance occurs in Johnson City, Tennessee, through September 29, 2029.

Frontier health (988 & CO-response) and law enforcement collaboration - frontier health (FH) proposes the frontier health (988 & CO-response) and law enforcement collaboration to strengthen washington county, tennessee's behavioral health crisis continuum by expanding evidence-informed post-crisis follow-up services for individuals experiencing suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, serious mental illness, substance use crises, CO-occurring disorders, overdose risk, and other behavioral health emergencies. Building upon FH's established behavioral health CO-response program and partnership with the washington county sheriff's office, the project will expand organizational capacity to provide timely, coordinated follow-up that improves continuity of care, increases engagement in treatment, and reduces suicide risk following a behavioral health crisis. The project will serve individuals of all ages who enter the crisis system through the regional 988 suicide & crisis lifeline, 911/public safety answering points (psaps), law enforcement, mobile crisis outreach teams (mcots), emergency departments, emergency medical services (EMS), and other behavioral health referral sources. Funding will support two crisis CO-response therapists, along with dedicated project director and data administrator oversight, enabling documented follow-up to begin within 24 hours of referral or care transition and continue for a minimum of 90 days, with services extended up to 12 months based on clinical need and documented verbal or written consent. Clinical services will incorporate evidence-informed and evidence-based practices, including comprehensive suicide and overdose risk assessment, the columbia-suicide severity rating scale (c-ssrs), safety planning intervention (SPI), motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, solution-focused therapy, care coordination, warm handoffs, and referral to the least restrictive clinically appropriate level of care. Enhanced follow-up will include ongoing suicide and overdose risk reassessment, safety plan review, appointment and medication support, identification of barriers to treatment, and coordination with behavioral health, healthcare, recovery, and community resources. Project goals are to expand organizational capacity for post-crisis follow-up, strengthen care transitions, improve engagement in behavioral health treatment, enhance coordination among behavioral health and public safety partners, and reduce unnecessary emergency department utilization and incarceration whenever clinically appropriate. By the end of the first project year, FH will expand its capacity to serve approximately 300 individuals annually through enhanced follow-up services, initiate documented follow-up within 24 hours for at least 90% of eligible individuals who consent to services, provide structured follow-up for 100% of consenting participants for a minimum of 90 days, connect 100% of individuals requiring ongoing behavioral healthcare to the least restrictive clinically appropriate level of care, and increase successful engagement in behavioral health treatment to 80% of participating individuals. Through expanded staffing, integrated care coordination, multidisciplinary collaboration, continuous quality improvement, and participation in samhsa's national cross-site evaluation, the project will strengthen washington county's behavioral health crisis response system, improve continuity of care during the period of greatest suicide risk, reduce repeat crisis events, and advance samhsa's priorities of expanding crisis intervention services, improving access to evidence-based behavioral healthcare, and promoting long-term recovery.