[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 17, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64222-64223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25035]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Funding Opportunity

AGENCY: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement 
to Mental Health Association of New York City, Inc. (DBA Vibrant 
Emotional Health).

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SUMMARY: This notice is to inform the public that the Substance Abuse 
and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) intends to award 
$152,000,000 (total costs) for up to two years to Vibrant Emotional 
Health for the 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Expansion for 
Behavioral Health Crisis Response (Lifeline Expansion). Under this 
cooperative agreement, Vibrant Emotional Health will improve and expand 
the national Lifeline backup centers, text/chat centers, and Spanish 
language crisis centers to: (1) Respond, intervene, and provide follow-
up to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis by recruiting 
and training additional behavioral health staff; (2) support and expand 
services for populations at high risk of suicide; and (3) develop the 
infrastructure needed to meet the increased service demand requirements 
anticipated with the FCC's national launch of 988 in July 2022.
    It is expected that this program will: (1) Increase response rates 
for national Lifeline backup centers, text/chat centers, and Spanish 
language crisis centers; (2) increase the workforce capacity of the 
national Lifeline backup centers, text/chat centers, and Spanish 
language crisis centers; and (3) improve the oversight and 
standardization of outcomes of the Lifeline.
    With this award, Vibrant Emotional Health will directly support the 
much needed expansion of the behavioral health workforce for all 
designated national Lifeline backup centers, text/chat centers, and 
Spanish language crisis centers to ensure the Network can meet or 
exceed established metrics; provide direct support to increase the 
workforce at national Lifeline back-up centers, text/chat centers, and 
Spanish language crisis centers to expand the

[[Page 64223]]

implementation of follow-up protocols; expand and enhance core Lifeline 
network functions; expand and facilitate timely and ongoing 
communication with the existing network of backup and text/chat centers 
to minimize wait time and maximize call connectivity; expand the 
ability of backup and text/chat centers to respond to sudden and large 
spikes in call volume immediately following a public service 
announcement, disaster, or other type of traumatic event; expand 
collaboration with backup and text/chat centers to ensure they have 
sufficient policies and procedures for the training and supervision of 
center staff in caller engagement, risk assessment, intervention, and 
linkage to appropriate services; develop and implement a quality 
improvement plan focusing on policies, first contact, assessment, 
referral, and access to local care to ensure there is a comprehensive 
and coordinated response to individuals at imminent risk for suicide; 
develop and implement a plan to support backup call centers, text/chat 
centers, and the Spanish language sub-network in accessing mobile 
crisis services and coordinating with 911 throughout the United States; 
provide technical assistance to states and crisis centers in 
communicating and aligning 988 implementation plans, including the 
ability to meet Key Performance Indicator expectations; establish 
interoperability with the VA infrastructure and operations to ensure 
veterans, service members, and families can access at the VA through 
authorized 988 phone and text services; and expand the Lifeline network 
by incorporating additional centers or developing formal agreements 
with service providers for populations at higher risk of suicide for 
the expansion of services, training, referrals, facilitated transfers 
and other approaches to link individuals in crisis with the most person 
centered and culturally appropriate responses.
    This is not a formal request for application. Assistance will be 
provided only to Vibrant Emotional Health based on the receipt of a 
satisfactory application that is approved by an independent review 
group.
    Funding Opportunity Title: Lifeline Expansion.
    Assistance Listing Number: 93.243.
    Authority: Section 520E-3 of the Public Health Service Act, as 
amended; and Section 9005 of the 21st Century Cures Act.
    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 funds a rapid expansion of the ongoing 
Lifeline services to meet the anticipated demands of the FCC's 988 
launch before July 2022. Since 2005, Vibrant Emotional Health has 
provided oversight and management of the Suicide Prevention Lifeline 
and its local call centers, backup centers, and chat/text functions 
with a network of over 180 centers in all fifty states. This 
longstanding history has positioned Vibrant Emotional Health as the 
best suited organization as the only identified organization with the 
required experience and national reach to work with the backup centers 
and chat/text organizations with expansion of their workforce and 
development of the infrastructure that is needed for the launch of 988 
in July 2022. Vibrant Emotional Health's history, experience, and 
ongoing communications with these centers are critical given the time 
sensitivity of the need for sufficient capacity to be in place by July 
2022. Several external evaluations have reinforced the evidence of 
effectiveness of Lifeline services through oversight of the Lifeline by 
Vibrant Emotional Health.
    The Federal Communication Commission has ordered that by July 16, 
2022 every cell phone, land line and voice over internet provider in 
the United States must make 988 operational and this date of 
implementation is also a requirement in the National Suicide Hotline 
Designation Act. Given the anticipated significantly increased contact 
volumes with the universal availability of 988, a rapid upgrading of 
Lifeline capacity is required by July 2022. It would not be possible 
for any other organization to establish the relationships with crisis 
centers that Vibrant Emotional Health has built over the last 15 years 
by July 2022, running the risk of significant numbers of unanswered 
calls, chats, and texts. In addition, if these funds were awarded to 
another organization, oversight of the expanded backup and chat/text 
centers would be fragmented and the network would run the risk of 
inefficiencies and adverse outcomes to individuals in crisis during the 
period when the demand for Lifeline is expected to surge with the 
launch of 988. Coordination, quality monitoring, and rapid response 
would be compromised. Vibrant Emotional Health also has extensive 
engagement with the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Crisis Line 
(VCL) that helps ensure call connectivity between Vibrant Emotional 
Health and VCL, backup services, and engagement across the Lifeline 
local crisis centers on Veteran identification, care, and linkage to 
the VA. Vibrant Emotional Health has long been recognized throughout 
the nation for its state-of-art technology-enabled services, community 
wellness programs, and advocacy and education work and is uniquely 
qualified to carry-out the requirements of this funding opportunity.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Wright, Substance Abuse and 
Mental Health Services Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 
20857; telephone: (240) 276-1615; email: [email protected].

    Dated: November 10, 2021.
Carlos Castillo,
Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-25035 Filed 11-16-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P