Philadelphia crisis line extended follow up program - the philadelphia crisis line (PCL), philadelphia's designated 988 suicide & crisis lifeline center, answered 78,033 crisis contacts in 2025,…

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.

Philadelphia crisis line extended follow up program - the philadelphia crisis line (PCL), philadelphia's designated 988 suicide & crisis lifeline center, answered 78,033 crisis contacts in 2025, including more than 11,700 involving suicidal ideation or other suicide-related concerns. Many individuals who experience a behavioral health crisis remain at elevated risk for suicide after the immediate crisis has been resolved but do not require hospitalization or other higher levels of care. To address this critical GAP, PCL proposes to establish the PCL extended follow-up program, expanding its current post-crisis outreach into a structured, evidence-based service providing up to 12 months of follow-up support. The program will serve individuals identified during 988 clinical assessments as being at elevated risk for suicide and appropriate for community-based follow-up. While PCL currently conducts brief follow-up with selected callers, limited staffing prevents sustained engagement. Samhsa funding will support three dedicated follow-up specialists to provide ongoing outreach, reduce suicide risk, strengthen treatment engagement, and improve long-term recovery outcomes. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that structured post-crisis follow-up, including caring contacts and collaborative safety planning, significantly reduces suicide attempts and increases treatment engagement. This project will make evidence-based follow-up a core component of philadelphia's behavioral health crisis continuum by providing proactive, person-centered, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and culturally responsive care tailored to each participant's needs. Services will include ongoing suicide risk assessment, collaborative safety planning using the stanley-brown safety planning intervention (SPI), 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. Follow-up intensity will taper according to risk and clinical need, from frequent contacts immediately after crisis resolution to less intensive support as participants stabilize and engage in ongoing services.