Because follow up matters: netcare's 988 text/chat follow-up expansion - netcare corporation, one of three state-designated 988 text and chat crisis centers serving all of ohio, will scale the state's…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded Netcare Corp $250,000 on September 30, 2026, under the 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Services Programs (CFDA 93.00R) to scale statewide follow-up services for individuals who text or chat the 988 crisis line.

Netcare will expand its high-fidelity follow-up protocol across Ohio, providing sustained follow-up care for up to 12 months to every consenting individual who contacts 988 in crisis, with particular focus on those at risk of suicide. The work includes refining follow-up protocols through statewide clinician training and standardized suicide-risk screening; building formal partnerships anchored by Netcare's certified community behavioral health clinic; deploying a 911/PSAP referral system to capture first-responder engagement; and strengthening the dedicated follow-up workforce through training, structured supervision, and burnout prevention. The catchment area encompasses all of Ohio, including approximately one in four residents who live in rural areas. The population served spans all age groups across Ohio's nearly 12 million residents, with concentrated need among individuals experiencing poverty, serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and veterans.

Performance occurs in Columbus, Ohio, with work continuing through September 29, 2029.

Because follow up matters: netcare's 988 text/chat follow-up expansion - netcare corporation, one of three state-designated 988 text and chat crisis centers serving all of ohio, will scale the state's only dedicated, high-fidelity 988 crisis follow-up program statewide so every consenting ohioan who texts or chats 988 receives sustained follow-up care for up to 12 months, reducing suicide and overdose deaths across ohio's nearly 12 million residents. Geographic area and capacity development needs: the catchment area is the entire state of ohio, where about one in four residents lives in a rural area (U.S. Census bureau, 2020). High-fidelity, sustained follow-up is scarce across ohio's 988 network, linkage pathways to ongoing care are incomplete, first-responder engagement data are limited, and the follow-up workforce faces high turnover. Population of focus and population served: the population of focus is every ohioan who texts or chats 988 in crisis and needs follow-up care, especially those at risk of suicide. IT spans all age groups, with concentrated, overlapping risk: roughly 1 in 8 residents lives in poverty (saipe 2022), almost 580,000 adults live with serious mental illness, about 1.8 million ohioans have a substance use disorder (nsduh 2023-2024), and nearly 600,000 are veterans. Follow-up services will be offered to every consenting help-seeker, with as many contacts as clinically indicated for up to 12 months. Strategies and interventions: netcare will refine and scale its follow-up protocol with statewide clinician training and standardized suicide-risk screening; build formal partnerships anchored by netcare's certified community behavioral health clinic; deploy a 911/psap referral system capturing first-responder engagement; and strengthen the dedicated follow-up workforce through training, structured supervision, and burnout prevention. Goals: (1) scale netcare's high-fidelity 988 follow-up model statewide so every consenting ohioan who texts or chats 988 receives sustained follow-up care; (2) establish formal crisis-continuum partnerships and referral pathways so help-seekers connect to ongoing care after a 988 contact; (3) reduce unnecessary police, fire, and EMS engagement among ohioans who contact 988; and (4) strengthen the specialized follow-up workforce so help seekers statewide receive consistent, high-fidelity care. Measurable objectives: aligned with samhsa's strategic priorities to expand crisis care and reduce suicide and overdose deaths, the project will: train 100% of follow-up clinicians on the updated statewide protocol and operationalize a 12-month monitoring dashboard (PY1); establish at least four new referral partnerships with bidirectional outcome-data exchange (PY2); publish a quarterly first-responder engagement dashboard (3% baseline) (PY1); and reduce clinician turnover below the PY1 baseline (PY1).