[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 219 (Tuesday, November 15, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 68510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-24793]


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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, 
Department of Health and Human Services (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 
$62,000,000 (total costs) for up to one year to Vibrant Emotional 
Health for the 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Expansion for 
Behavioral Health Crisis Response (Lifeline Expansion). These funds 
will allow Vibrant Emotional Health to ensure effective and continuous 
operations of the national Lifeline backup, chat/text, Spanish and 
LGBTQI+ youth crisis center networks, administrative and leadership 
support to ensure training, evaluation, personnel, and committee 
oversight and implementation, and continued development of the Lifeline 
unified platform and information technology integration for local and 
national crisis centers.

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].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This funding will: (1) fund national 
Lifeline backup, chat/text, Spanish and specialized service networks; 
(2) expand training and resources for high-risk populations; and (3) 
improve unified data management across the 988 Lifeline crisis centers 
nationwide for the contact growth during the first quarter of FY 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.
    Funding Opportunity Title: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 
Operations.
    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). 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 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 to improve unified data 
management across centers.
    Vibrant Emotional Health's history, experience, and ongoing 
communications with these centers have been critical to ensure 
sufficient capacity was in place for the July 2022 transition to 988. 
Several external evaluations have reinforced the evidence of 
effectiveness of Lifeline services through oversight of the Lifeline by 
Vibrant Emotional Health. 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 and could run 
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. 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.

Alicia Broadus,
Public Health Advisor.
[FR Doc. 2022-24793 Filed 11-14-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P