NNews-July-2023

7 July 2023 988 Crisis Response SystemDemonstrates Effectiveness and Ongoing Development Already, it has been almost a year since the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline was launched, along with several initiatives to expand and strengthen New Jersey’s crisis response system of which 988 is an essential part. NJAMHAANews spoke with Valerie Mielke, MSW, Assistant Commissioner, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), and Mary Jean Weston, 988 Project Lead, DMHAS, for the latest updates and what to anticipate in the near future. INITIAL SUCCESS OF THE 988 ROLLOUT Mary JeanWeston: We are very happy with the rollout. We have five call centers that are very prepared to take the calls. Assistant Commissioner Mielke: Though the centers have been answering calls for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, only two previously had connections to DMHAS; now, all five do. They are all very committed to a successful rollout and they are open to opportunities for improvement and meeting training needs. The call volume continues to increase, and the centers are handling it. It is a real testament to the centers’ dedication. The call centers have taken on yeoman’s work prior to the 988 transition and particularly now, when many more people are comfortable talking about mental health. There is a greater appreciation and understanding of the prevalence of individuals who are struggling. We’re very fortunate in New Jersey to have five centers, including one that is available 24/7 (Rutgers University), for all New Jerseyans. It is important to recognize that our call centers are mature. Many people are already aware of them. We are strengthening partnerships with the centers to make them even more valuable resources for individuals throughout the state. Mary JeanWeston: One of the real gifts of this process is that we have been working with all the call centers for a couple of years. We know themwell, they know each other well, and they work together as a team. There is great cooperation, and we have great confidence that the systemwill grow over time. Assistant Commissioner Mielke: We have also had great support and interest across state departments to roll out 988 successfully, and we are creating constituency groups. Those answering calls know where to connect people. For example, we set up and tested a mechanism for calls about children’s needs for services to be automatically transferred to PerformCare and a similar mechanism for individuals with intellectual/ developmental disabilities (I/DD) to be connected with the I/DD system. Different state departments—Health, Children and Families, Human Services and its Division of Developmental Disabilities—have been at the table for planning the transition. They aremembers of an advisory council, alongwith the call centers’ staff; representatives from911, 211, the Attorney General’s office, a Crisis Intervention Teamsubject matter expert; amental health administrator; a Chief of Police; people with lived experience; and familymembers, who are also considered to have lived experience; and representatives from the Black and Latinx communities. Collectively, they have all shared various perspectives to help plan for the transition. Mary JeanWeston: The advisory council continues to meet quarterly. They serve as consultants, keep us familiar with what is going on in the community, and help us to better understand how they use the system and how everyone can benefit. GENERAL STATISTICS AND PLANS Mary JeanWeston: There has been an average of 4,500 to 5,000 calls per month from the launch of 988 on July 16, 2022 until the end of March 2023. Based on this trend, a total of 50,000 to 60,000 calls —in addition to text and chat messages — is expected by July 2023.