Certification Standards for 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Centers

Certification Standards for 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Centers A. Designation 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Center must be designated by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) and must: 1. Be a state-identified, accredited, and funded center participating in the Vibrant Emotional Health /988 Suicide & Lifeline Network Agreement (Vibrant Network Agreement) as approved by Vibrant and SAMHSA and identified in the DMH 988 Implementation Plan. 2. Have an active agreement with the Vibrant Administrator. 3. Provide 24/7 confidential support via phone, text, and chat. 4. Ensure accessibility to all people in Mississippi regardless of location, language, or background. B. Operational and Clinical Standards The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Centers must: 1. Meet all operational and clinical standards established by the SAMHSA 988 Cooperative Agreement, Vibrant Network Agreement, pertaining to 988 Quality Improvement standards, addressing staffing, training, and supervision requirements. 2. Maintain interoperability with crisis emergency systems used statewide (e.g., 911 Public Safety Telecommunicators (PSTs), law enforcement, local emergency rooms, regional Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs), Mobile Crisis Emergency Response Teams (MCeRT) to improve 988 crisis response needed to unify the behavioral health crisis system of care. 3. Implement suicide risk assessment and crisis triage procedures, including risk and acuity assessments, using those required by the Vibrant Network Agreement and DMH-approved tools. 4. Coordinate dispatch of Mobile Crisis Emergency Response Teams (MCeRT) and facilitate access to Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Services when necessary. 5. Adopt the best practices outlined in the Saving Lives in America: 988 Quality and Services Plan (issued April 2024). C. High-Risk and Specialized Populations 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Centers must demonstrate policies, procedures, and training to: 1. Appropriately serve high-risk groups across the lifespan as identified by SAMHSA (e.g. veterans, MH, SMI, SUD, domestic violence involved, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), disabled, elderly, individuals facing homelessness, etc.). 2. Transfer callers to appropriate specialized centers or subnetworks, as required. D. Quality Assurance and Reporting 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Centers must: 1. Participate in continuous quality improvement activities in alignment with the Mississippi DMH 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Centers Quality Assurance Plan addressing 988 Quality Improvement (QI) efforts (effective July 1, 2025) and DMH expectations to monitor KPI results (operations and clinical care) during quarterly reviews of protocols for identifying and reviewing critical incidents (i.e., suicide attempts, deaths by suicide, and overdoses) where the last contact was provided by Mississippi, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Centers, if identified within 7 days post-988 contact. 2. Work with DMH 988 Project Evaluator to submit an annual report to DMH and SAMHSA, including: a) Volume and type of contacts (calls, texts, chats) b) Outcomes (e.g., safety planning, referrals, dispatches) c) Staffing and training updates for workforce (full-time, part-time, volunteers) d) Results of Vibrant Key Performance Indicator (KPI) required metrics (operations and clinical care) e) DMH 988 statewide evaluation f) SAMHSA 988 national evaluation (if available) E. Follow-Up Services 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Centers must: 1. Provide follow-up services in accordance with 988 Vibrant Network Agreement and DMH guidance. 2. Coordinate with local CMHCs/LMHAs post-988 contact referral protocols ensuring warm hand offs, care continuity and crisis response resources needed to unify the behavioral health crisis system of care. F. Technology and Accessibility 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Centers must: 1. Utilize technology that supports real-time communication, triage, and transfer capabilities. 2. Ensure services are accessible to individuals with disabilities. G. Funding and Sustainability 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Centers must develop a sustainability plan that includes diversified funding sources such as: 1. Medicaid 2. State and federal grants 3. Partnerships with local providers and stakeholders H. Coordination and Integration 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Centers must establish and document working relationships with: 1. Mobile Crisis Response Teams 2. 911 PSTs and local law enforcement 3. Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Units 4. Local emergency room departments 5. Peer support networks Part 2: Chapter 20: Mental Health Community Support Services