Victor Armstrong, MSW, says, as it exists now, the behavioral health system is inherently flawed for African Americans, pointing out that treatment modalities and the way they’re framed “don’t take into account the nuances of race, culture, or ethnicity.” Armstrong, who is the director of the North Carolina Division for
Matthew L. Goldman, M.D., M.S., medical director of Comprehensive Crisis Services at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, says communities need to buckle down now to ensure that 988, the three-digit number the FCC designated to mirror 911 for mental health and suicide crises, fulfills its potential when it
Imagine that 911 doesn’t exist and a fire breaks out in your home. If you are able to find the number, you might call the fire department directly. But what if they’re not equipped to come to your location and can only put out fires after you bring them to
On Thursday, the FCC voted to formally make 988 the nationwide number for mental health and suicide crisis, adopting rules that require all phone service carriers to start directing 988 calls to the existing SAMHSA-funded National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK | (1-800-273-8255) by July 16, 2022. Ajit Pai, FCC chairman,
FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, announced today that the agency is taking the next step to establish 988 as the nationwide 3-digit number for mental health, substance use, and suicide crisis, mirroring what 911 is for medical emergencies. He notes that 988 is critical to combat the rising number of suicides
Last week, Sue Ann Atkerson, LPC, MBA, CEO of Behavioral Health Link, testified before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee. The hearing, called “Strengthening Communications Networks to Help Americans in Crisis,” included six witnesses who spoke on eight separate bills. Atkerson
Christine Vestal, a staff writer for Stateline, takes a deep dive comparing what people in behavioral health crises in Maricopa County, Arizona, experience compared to the rest of the United States. With Arizona pioneering a different way, what states are also noticing is that fostering a robust crisis continuum is
After a unanimous vote, the FCC begins the process to formally make 988 the nationwide number for mental health and suicide crisis. The word that comes to mind for many after hearing the decision is parity.
FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, takes a critical step in establishing 988 as the nationwide number for #mentalhealth and suicide emergencies, mirroring what the three-digit-number 911 is for medical crises.
Behavioral health organizations from around the United States are urging Congress to adopt the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act (H.R. 4194). The act has garnered bipartisan support and experts say that making a three-digit number a reality will allow people in crisis to get a rapid response and be matched