In 2021 Congress funded a new 5% set-aside of the Community Mental Health Block Grant (MHBG) to fund the expansion of behavioral health crisis services. States were encouraged to implement a continuum of behavioral health crisis services as highlighted in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care, including a continuum of (1) Crisis Call Centers, (2) Mobile Crisis Teams (MCTs), and (3) short-term Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Facilities (CRSFs). In July 2022, the nation's behavioral health crisis continuum was strengthened with the launch of a national 3-digit (988) behavioral health crisis line that is available in every state and answered by almost 200 local call centers. Developing sustainable funding to support crisis services is a major focus of States as they work to expand behavioral health crisis services.
Financing Behavioral Health Crisis Services: 2022
December 01, 2022