Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration October 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice is to inform the public that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) intends to award $47 million (total costs) for up to one year to Vibrant Emotional Health for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Access Improvement Project. Funding for this program is from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, [Pub. L. 117-159, Division B, Title II]. Under this cooperative agreement, Vibrant Emotional Health will expand access to the local and national Lifeline backup centers, language services, system evaluation and data reporting, and access to specialized care for populations to be known at higher risk for suicide by: (1) expanding options for connection and support for individuals at higher risk of suicide, which includes but is not limited to LGBTQI+, American Indian/Alaska Native, rural individuals, individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders, Black/African-American youth and older men; (2) expanding current language access services to include Spanish chat and text, and videophone for those deaf and hard of hearing; and (3) improve access and capacity utilization of the nationwide backup system while maximizing state and territory response. Funding Opportunity Title: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Access Improvement Project. Assistance Listing Number: 93.243. Authority: Section 520E-3 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. Justification: Eligibility for this award is limited to the Mental Health Association of New York City, Inc. (DBA Vibrant Emotional Health). Vibrant Emotional Health is the current Lifeline system administrator and this award expand options for connection and support for individuals at higher risk of suicide, expand current language access services to include Spanish chat and text services, work to activate videophone for those deaf and hard of hearing, and improve access and capacity utilization of the nationwide backup system while maximizing state and territory response. Since 2005, Vibrant Emotional Health has provided oversight and management of the NSPL and its local call centers, backup centers, Spanish network, and chat/text functions with a network of over 200 centers in all fifty states. In FY 2021, SAMHSA issued a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity for the NSPL, which was awarded to Vibrant Emotional Health for a 5-year project period (September 30, 2021, to September 29, 2026). Vibrant Emotional Health has the infrastructure, experience, and national reach to work with the backup centers, language services, and chat/text organizations to address the increased contact volumes expected in 2023. With the transition to 988 accomplished, greater services, such as expanding access to the local and national Lifeline backup centers, language services, system evaluation and data reporting, and access to specialized care for populations to be known at higher risk for suicide, are required for the 988 projected contacts in 2023 and beyond. It would not be possible for any other organization to establish the relationships or technical systems with crisis centers that Vibrant Emotional Health has built over the last 15 years to accomplish the goals by December 2023. Any significant modification to the current 988 network, technology platform and/or administration would significantly delay operational outcomes and run the risk of significant numbers of unanswered calls, chats, and texts of individuals in crisis. Since the transition to 988, the Lifeline, under Vibrant's network administration and HHS funding, has seen call answer rates significantly improve and far greater numbers of individuals served in crisis. The impact of having administration disruption and splitting of network oversight significantly increases public safety risk now more than ever as 988 is quickly becoming transitioned to a greater utilized public service and an entry way into more centralized behavioral health crisis care. Oversight of the expanded back up, language services, and chat/text centers would be fragmented and run the risk of both inefficiencies and adverse outcomes, as well as coordination, quality monitoring, and rapid response could be compromised. Vibrant has extensive engagement, including direct contractual obligations, with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) that helps ensure call connectivity between Vibrant and VCL, backup services, and engagement across the Lifeline local crisis centers on Veteran identification, care, and linkage to VA. and is uniquely qualified to carry-out the requirements of this funding opportunity.

This notice is to inform the public that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is supporting administrative supplements to the 54 grant recipients funded under the FY 2022 Cooperative Agreements for States and Territories to Build Local 988 Capacity (988 State and Territory Grants) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) SM-22-015, which have a project end date of April 2024. This supplemental funding is within scope and is expected to increase and/or expand original workforce capacity, ease of access to services, contact demand, including coverage area, through phone, chat, and text, and contact answer rates for 988 crisis care. The 988 State and Territory Cooperative Agreement grant recipients are eligible to apply for awards from $458,333 to $2,000,000 for a total funding of $50,000,000 from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). The supplements will support 988 response and workforce expansion by improving 988 collaborations, infrastructure, hiring and retention, communications and marketing, and evaluation activities. These awards will help improve 988 and 911 coordination, especially in cases of emergency intervention due to suicidal behavior, improve state/ territory infrastructure to answer 988 Lifeline chat and text request initiated within their state or territory, align communications and marketing of the 988 Lifeline in conjunction with SAMHSA and HHS's 988 communications and marketing strategy, help streamline access to mobile crisis and crisis response teams for all 988 crisis centers, assist the development and expansion of human resource systems to increase the pace of 988 recruitment and hiring, conduct root cause analyses on identified critical incidents contacting through the 988 system, support continuity of care throughout the larger crisis response system and improve follow up and referral outcomes to decrease suicide and ensure individuals are connected to post-contact care. This is not a formal request for application. Assistance will only be provided to the 54 recipients funded in FY 2022 under the 988 State and Territory Cooperative Agreement NOFO SM-22-015 based on the receipt of a satisfactory application and associated budget that is approved by a review group. Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2022 Cooperative Agreements for States and Territories to Build Local 988 Capacity NOFO SM 22-015. Assistance Listing Number: 93.243. Authority: Section 520E-3 of the Public Health Services (PHS) Act [290bb-36c], as amended. Justification: SAMHSA is limiting eligibility for this supplemental funding to the 988 State and Territory grant recipients, which were funded in FY 2022 under the Cooperative Agreements for States and Territories to Build Local 988 Capacity, SM-22-015. These recipients provide leadership and oversee the current 988 and state- and territory-wide local crisis service systems. In addition, the recipients have the required active relationships with and can quickly provide fiscal resources directly to local and statewide Lifeline crisis centers for 988 response; thereby reducing burden on the nationwide network of Lifeline crisis centers, ensuring all those needing 988 services have awareness and access to localized care. Due to the requirements of the FY 2022 Cooperative Agreements for States and Territories to Build Local 988 Capacity, recipients are the only entities that can utilize these funds to successfully complete the required activities to improve 988 Lifeline crisis center workforce response and meet defined state and territory key performance indicators. Contact: James Wright, LPC, Chief of Crisis Center Operations, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, telephone 240-276-1615; email: james.wright@samhsa.hhs.gov.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notifies federal agencies of the laboratories and Instrumented Initial Testing Facilities (IITFs) currently certified to meet the standards of the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs using Urine or Oral Fluid (Mandatory Guidelines).