Hello, state and territory advocates! Here are some resources to help you engage with other stakeholders, challenge the status quo, and elevate the issues that matter most to you!
The Public Policy & Government Affairs department has curated a set of valuable tools to help get you started.
NEW RESOURCES:
Do you have questions about 988, telecommunications fees, why they are important, and successful strategies states have used to pass them? The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) has released two new 988 resources to help support state mental health authorities in securing 988 funding sustainability.
Please check out NASMHPD’s 988 Fee FAQs for State Behavioral Health Authorities for answers to these and other questions.
NASMHPD’s 988 Sustainability Fee Model Bill Template was created to assist states in drafting legislation to implement a telecommunications fee-based funding mechanism for their 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Centers. The template is designed for state policymakers and legal counsel to use as a framework to customize legislation based on the state’s needs.
Do you want to know how your state funds the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline? Click below to see each state’s total 988 funding amount (please note that these profiles only include funding sourced from legislatively approved state budgets and do not include funding from federal sources such as ARPA or Medicaid.)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
How a Bill Becomes a Law Document:
Video: Meeting with Your Legislator: View this brief 11:30 video for valuable insights on practical strategies and pitfalls to avoid when meeting with an elected official or their staff.
Are you a state or territory leader for 988 efforts? Are you a member of the 988 State/Territory email listserv?
- The 988 State/Territory listserv is a communication tool that provides a select group of partners (State and Territory Leads for 988 efforts) with resources, information, and other details about the 988 Lifeline, which are sent directly to their email inbox. This email list is focused only on the State and Territory Leads for 988 efforts. These leaders can influence the development and sustainability of a strongly interconnected crisis system in their state/territory. Often, they are located in the state or territory’s Mental Health Agency. The email listserv provides an essential resource for timely information directly from Vibrant about the first step in a robust crisis system – someone to help (i.e., answer a call/chat/text) and to provide linkages to the next steps (referral for local services, mobile crisis team support, emergency response), and finally to provide caring follow-up promptly (generally next day).
- To apply for membership to the 988 State/Territory listserv, please speak to your Network Engagement Manager or PPGA State Policy Manager.
