Call 988, Not 911: The State of Alternative Crisis Response

SCPS and SCSCAP Present a joint meeting:

Call 988, Not 911: The State of Alternative Crisis Response in Southern California

with our speaker: John Franklin Sierra, Ph.D

Sunday, November 7th at 10:00 A.M.

On July 16, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated “988” as the new number to replace the National Suicide Hotline and take incoming mental health crisis calls, with a phase-in deadline of July 16, 2022. States have responded with their own initiatives to mobilize their decentralized networks. In California, state assembly bill AB-988 spells out a specific action plan that will be debated over the coming year. Meanwhile, stakeholders like the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) were tasked to examine the current state of affairs and develop a comprehensive strategy for 1) streamlining and staffing crisis call centers, 2) bolstering crisis mobile response units, and 3) investing in crisis receiving and stabilization units.

To guide us through DMH’s roadmap with a focus on county and state initiatives, Dr. John Franklin Sierra, PhD, will present an overview of where we are, proposed next steps, implications for our patients, and how we can contribute to the improvement of these systems. Join us as we discuss implications and opportunities of California’s evolving Alternative Crisis Response system.

SCPS Members and SCSCAP Members please RSVP HERE