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SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE CRISIS CENTER FOLLOW-UP EXPANSION GRANTS

COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION GRANTS

CRISIS CENTER FOLLOW-UP IMPROVEMENT - CONTACT COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC., A 501(C)(3) IN EAST SYRACUSE, NY AND A REGIONAL 988 SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE CONTACT CENTER IS PROPOSING THE CRISIS CENTER FOLLOW-UP IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. THE PROJECT WILL FORMALIZE CONSENT-BASED FOLLOW-UP PROTOCOLS, EXPAND CRISIS SYSTEM PARTNERSHIPS INTO UNDERSERVED RURAL REGIONS, STRENGTHEN 911/988 COORDINATION, AND CONNECT INDIVIDUALS TO ONGOING RECOVERY SUPPORTS - REDUCING SUICIDE, OVERDOSE, AND UNNECESSARY EMERGENCY ENGAGEMENT. THE PROJECT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ACROSS CONTACT'S NINE-COUNTY PRIMARY 988 SERVICE AREA: CENTRAL NEW YORK (CORTLAND, MADISON, ONONDAGA, AND OSWEGO COUNTIES), THE NORTH COUNTRY (LEWIS, JEFFERSON, AND ST. LAWRENCE COUNTIES), AND THE ADIRONDACKS (WARREN AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES). WHILE CENTRAL NEW YORK HAS AN EXISTING BUT INCONSISTENTLY COORDINATED CRISIS SYSTEM, THE NORTH COUNTRY AND ADIRONDACKS FACE MORE FOUNDATIONAL CAPACITY GAPS, INCLUDING SPARSE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE, LIMITED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, AND THE ABSENCE OF FORMAL FOLLOW-UP PATHWAYS. THE POPULATION OF FOCUS FOR THIS PROJECT INCLUDES INDIVIDUALS WHO CONTACT 988 EXPRESSING SUICIDAL IDEATION, BEHAVIOR, OR RISK; INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING MOBILE CRISIS OUTREACH TEAM (MCOT) INTERVENTION; INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EMERGENCIES WHO PRESENT TO HOSPITALS; AND INDIVIDUALS WHOSE CRISES INVOLVE 911 OR PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT (PSAP) REFERRAL. THIS POPULATION REFLECTS SIGNIFICANT CLINICAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC VULNERABILITY, INCLUDING ELEVATED RATES OF SUICIDE, SELF-HARM, AND OPIOID-INVOLVED OVERDOSE; POVERTY RATES RANGING FROM 9.7% TO 16.9% ACROSS THE SERVICE AREA; AND A SUBSTANTIAL CONCENTRATION OF VETERANS AND ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL NEAR FORT DRUM IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. CONTACT WILL IMPLEMENT A STANDARDIZED, RISK-STRATIFIED FOLLOW-UP PROTOCOL; FORMALIZE AND EXPAND PARTNERSHIPS WITH HOSPITALS, CERTIFIED COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINICS (CCBHCS), MCOTS, AND 911/PSAP SYSTEMS; ESTABLISH A REGIONAL FOLLOW-UP ADVISORY COMMITTEE RFAC TO GUIDE IMPLEMENTATION ACROSS ALL THREE REGIONS; AND PARTICIPATE FULLY IN SAMHSA'S NATIONAL CROSS-SITE EVALUATION. IMPLEMENTING THESE STRATEGIES WILL: • ENSURE SYSTEMATIC FOLLOW-UP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO CONTACT 988 • PROVIDE ENHANCED COORDINATION OF CRISIS STABILIZATION, RESPITE, MCOT, AND OTHER CRISIS CONTINUUM SERVICES • STRENGTHEN 911/988 COORDINATION TO REDUCE UNNECESSARY EMERGENCY DISPATCH • IMPROVE CONNECTIONS TO ONGOING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SUPPORTS FOR HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS KEY OBJECTIVES INCLUDE AN 85% FOLLOW-UP OFFER RATE AND 65% ENROLLMENT RATE BY THE END OF YEAR 1; 24-HOUR FOLLOW-UP INITIATION FOR AT LEAST 90% OF ENROLLED INDIVIDUALS; NEW MOUS WITH CCBHCS, MCOTS, AND HOSPITALS ACROSS UNDERSERVED REGIONS; AND AT LEAST 70% RESOLUTION OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISES WITHOUT EMERGENCY DISPATCH BY YEAR 3 – ADVANCING SAMHSA'S STRATEGIC PRIORITIES OF EXPANDING CRISIS INTERVENTION, ADDRESSING SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS, AND SUPPORTING LONG-TERM RECOVERY.

CRISIS CTR FOLLOW-UP INT. WITH COMP. PSY. EMERG. PROG. IN CENTRAL NEW YORK

EQUIPMENT UPGRADE FOR 988 CALL CENTER - PROJECT NAME: EQUIPMENT UPGRADE FOR 988 CALL CENTER CONTACT COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFERS 24/7 TELEPHONIC MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS SUPPORT AND RESPONDS TO 988 CALLS IN MULTIPLE COUNTIES IN NEW YORK. THIS PROJECT WILL SERVE ALL INDIVIDUALS RESIDING IN NEW YORK WHO CALL 988. 988 IS A CRITICAL SERVICE THAT IS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE RESPONSE TO THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN OUR COMMUNITIES. 988 IS A NATIONWIDE, EASY-TO-REMEMBER 3-DIGIT DIALING CODE FOR THOSE IN CRISIS TO CONNECT WITH SUICIDE PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS COUNSELORS. IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE CAN OFFER UNINTERRUPTED 24/7 ACCESS TO CALLERS. IN ADDITION, THE VOLUME OF CALLS IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE FOLLOWING THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF 988. NEW EQUIPMENT AND AN UPGRADE OF EXISTING EQUIPMENT THAT IS NEARING THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE EXPECTANCY IS REQUIRED TO ENABLE THE SMOOTH AND UNINTERRUPTED OPERATION OF THE 988 CALL CENTER. USING OLDER TECHNOLOGY SLOWS OUR WORKFLOW AND WILL EVENTUALLY IMPACT CALL EXPERIENCE. UPGRADING OUR SYSTEMS WILL ALLOW US TO RESPOND TO CALLERS IN A MORE EFFECTIVE AND TIMELY MANNER. THIS PROJECT WILL BUY NEW EQUIPMENT, REPLACE OUTDATED EQUIPMENT AND UPGRADE CRITICAL SYSTEMS REQUIRED FOR 24/7 OPERATIONS. THE EQUIPMENT TO BE PURCHASED ARE NETWORK SWITCHES, LAPTOPS AND WORKSTATION EQUIPMENT SUCH AS KEYBOARD, MONITORS AND DOCKING STATION, SECURITY SYSTEMS AND A GENERATOR. THE CENTRAL CALL CENTER LOCATION, WHICH IS OPERATION 24X7, LACKS ADEQUATE SECURITY SYSTEMS IN PLACE FOR STAFF SAFETY. WE PROPOSE A SECURITY SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (SECURITY CAMERAS AND INTERCOM SYSTEM AT MULTIPLE ENTRY POINTS) AND A NEW SECURE ENTRY SYSTEM TO ENSURE NO UNAUTHORIZED PERSON HAS ACCESS TO THE BUILDING, ESPECIALLY AFTER NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS. LASTLY, THE FACILITY HAS AN AGEING AND OUTDATED GENERATOR. THE EQUIPMENT IS SO OLD THAT IT IS BECOMING DIFFICULT TO PROCURE REPLACEMENT PARTS. HAVING UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY IS CRITICAL TO A 988 CALL CENTER OPERATION. WE WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE THE AGING GENERATOR WITH A NEW, RELIABLE GENERATOR TO ENSURE UNINTERRUPTED OPERATIONS EVEN DURING SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS AND OTHER DISASTERS THAT MIGHT IMPACT POWER SUPPLY. THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ARE AS FOLLOWS: GOAL1: INCREASE CALL CENTER RESPONSE RATE BY UPDATING EQUIPMENT AND BUYING NEW EQUIPMENT FOR INCREASED STAFF REQUIREMENT. OBJECTIVE 1: PURCHASE NEW IT EQUIPMENT OF 15 LAPTOPS, WORKSTATION EQUIPMENT, AND 2 NETWORK SWITCHES BY DECEMBER 2023 TO ACCOMMODATE INCREASED CALL CENTER ACTIVITY. GOAL 2: INCREASE SAFETY OF CALL CENTER FOR EMPLOYEES. OBJECTIVE 2: INSTALL SECURITY SYSTEM OF CAMERAS, INTERCOM AND KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEM FOR STAFF SAFETY BY MARCH 2024. GOAL 3: INCREASE OPERATIONAL RESPONSE ABILITY OF CALL CENTER. OBJECTIVE 3: INSTALL NEW GENERATOR BY SEPTEMBER 2024 TO ENSURE UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY TO CALL CENTER.