[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 26, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64804-64805]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-23274]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Funding Opportunity

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

ACTION: Notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement 
to the 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 $47 
million (total costs) for up to one year to Vibrant Emotional Health 
for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Access Improvement Project. 
Funding for this program is from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, 
[Pub. L. 117-159, Division B, Title II]. Under this cooperative 
agreement, Vibrant Emotional Health will expand access to the local and 
national Lifeline backup centers, language services, system evaluation 
and data reporting, and access to specialized care for populations to 
be known at higher risk for suicide by: (1) expanding options for 
connection and support for individuals at higher risk of suicide, which 
includes but is not limited to LGBTQI+, American Indian/Alaska Native, 
rural individuals, individuals with mental illness and substance use 
disorders, Black/African-American youth and older men; (2) expanding 
current language access services to include Spanish chat and text, and 
videophone for those deaf and hard of hearing; and (3) improve access 
and capacity utilization of the nationwide backup system while 
maximizing state and territory response.
    Funding Opportunity Title: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Access 
Improvement Project.
    Assistance Listing Number: 93.243.
    Authority: Section 520E-3 of the Public Health Service Act, as 
amended.
    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

[[Page 64805]]

system administrator and this award expand options for connection and 
support for individuals at higher risk of suicide, expand current 
language access services to include Spanish chat and text services, 
work to activate videophone for those deaf and hard of hearing, and 
improve access and capacity utilization of the nationwide backup system 
while maximizing state and territory response. Since 2005, Vibrant 
Emotional Health has provided oversight and management of the NSPL and 
its local call centers, backup centers, Spanish network, and chat/text 
functions with a network of over 200 centers in all fifty states. In FY 
2021, SAMHSA issued a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity for the 
NSPL, which was awarded to Vibrant Emotional Health for a 5-year 
project period (September 30, 2021, to September 29, 2026). Vibrant 
Emotional Health has the infrastructure, experience, and national reach 
to work with the backup centers, language services, and chat/text 
organizations to address the increased contact volumes expected in 
2023. With the transition to 988 accomplished, greater services, such 
as expanding access to the local and national Lifeline backup centers, 
language services, system evaluation and data reporting, and access to 
specialized care for populations to be known at higher risk for 
suicide, are required for the 988 projected contacts in 2023 and 
beyond.
    It would not be possible for any other organization to establish 
the relationships or technical systems with crisis centers that Vibrant 
Emotional Health has built over the last 15 years to accomplish the 
goals by December 2023. Any significant modification to the current 988 
network, technology platform and/or administration would significantly 
delay operational outcomes and run the risk of significant numbers of 
unanswered calls, chats, and texts of individuals in crisis. Since the 
transition to 988, the Lifeline, under Vibrant's network administration 
and HHS funding, has seen call answer rates significantly improve and 
far greater numbers of individuals served in crisis. The impact of 
having administration disruption and splitting of network oversight 
significantly increases public safety risk now more than ever as 988 is 
quickly becoming transitioned to a greater utilized public service and 
an entry way into more centralized behavioral health crisis care. 
Oversight of the expanded back up, language services, and chat/text 
centers would be fragmented and run the risk of both inefficiencies and 
adverse outcomes, as well as coordination, quality monitoring, and 
rapid response could be compromised. Vibrant has extensive engagement, 
including direct contractual obligations, with the Department of 
Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) that helps ensure 
call connectivity between Vibrant and VCL, backup services, and 
engagement across the Lifeline local crisis centers on Veteran 
identification, care, and linkage to VA. and is uniquely qualified to 
carry-out the requirements of this funding opportunity.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: It is expected this program will: (1) 
increase operational transparency and improve data and workforce 
management; (2) increase language access services available to the 
nation, including adding chat and text Spanish services; and (3) 
further enhance access for high-risk populations. With this award, 
Vibrant Emotional Health will directly support the needed expansion of 
the national back-up system of Lifeline crisis centers, expand options 
for connection and support, including backup, chat, text, Spanish, and 
specialized centers; enhance operational administrative and data 
systems to ensure the Network can meet or exceed established metrics; 
expand Spanish and other languages chat and text services, and video 
services for those deaf or hard of hearing; ensure crisis centers 
across states, and territories are provided enhanced technical 
assistance for improving response rates for all phone, chat and text 
services and develop processes for enhanced analytic capability in the 
actual connection rates for center and state outcomes across all 
services; develop network operational dashboards to improve oversight 
of outcomes and enhance public data transparency of network service and 
response. In addition, this funding will also enhance workforce 
management solutions for the Lifeline crisis centers, helping to ensure 
effective workforce projection planning and utilization to meet 
network, state, and local key performance indicators; develop a plan to 
expand and/or provide support and response for populations at high risk 
for suicide; and provide expanded services for populations at higher 
risk of suicide, including but not limited to LGBTQI+, American Indian/
Alaska Native, rural individuals, individuals with mental illness and 
substance use disorders, Black/African-American youth and older men by 
September 30, 2023.
    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.
    Contact: James Wright, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857; telephone: 
(240) 276-1615; email: [email protected].

Alicia Broadus,
Public Health Advisor.
[FR Doc. 2022-23274 Filed 10-25-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P