SPONSOR: Byrnes
To the extent possible by federal law, this bill requires the Department of Mental Health to require the 988 Lifeline to follow the below standards:
(1) When first contacted by an individual, the crisis counselor must first ask the individual whether he or she is in imminent danger necessitating a 911 call or is instead only seeking psychological support; and
(2) Lifeline centers must include in their scripts key performance indicators to gauge the effectiveness of their efforts, guide conversations between individuals contacting the Lifeline and the Lifeline's crisis counselors, and optimize outcomes. Clients must be provided with follow-up resources and a survey.
The bill also requires the Department to submit an annual report to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tem of the Senate that features data and analysis on the value of the Lifeline, the quality of the interactions between contact initiators and crisis counselors, the results of surveys, and the percentage of links provided to clients that resulted in clicks.
Statutes affected: