Project Grant H79FG001486

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the City of Philadelphia $183,437 on September 30, 2026, under the 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Services Programs (CFDA 93.00R) to establish the Philadelphia Crisis Line Extended Follow-Up Program.

The Philadelphia Crisis Line, the city's designated 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Center, will deploy three dedicated follow-up specialists to provide up to 12 months of structured, evidence-based post-crisis outreach to individuals identified during 988 clinical assessments as being at elevated risk for suicide and appropriate for community-based follow-up. The program addresses a gap in care for individuals whose behavioral health crisis has resolved but who remain at elevated suicide risk and do not require hospitalization. Follow-up services include ongoing suicide risk assessment, collaborative safety planning using the Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention, identification of barriers to care, reinforcement of protective factors, caring contacts, and active linkage to behavioral health treatment, primary care, recovery supports, and community resources.

The Philadelphia Crisis Line answered 78,033 crisis contacts in 2025, including more than 11,700 involving suicidal ideation or other suicide-related concerns. The city currently conducts brief follow-up with selected callers but lacks sufficient staffing for sustained engagement.

Performance occurs in Philadelphia, PA, with a period of performance from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2029.