Responding to an increase in call, text, and chat volume after the national transition to a 3-digit crisis number is a major priority for Pennsylvania. Through strategic increases in staffing and incentives across all 13 call centers responding to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Pennsylvania aims to exceed an in-state answer rate of 90%, while responding to calls, texts, and chats within 20 seconds of contact and reaching an estimated more than 300,000 people annually with crisis response services.
While Pennsylvania’s goals for crisis expansion extend beyond 988 crisis call, text, and chat response and
cover the full crisis continuum, the following goals and measurable objectives will drive the focus of this
grant program:
-Continue statewide Advisory Board, planning committees and the 911-988 subcommittee to facilitate the transition and growth of 988 call services.-Ensure statewide 24/7 service for 988 calls, texts, and chats by transitioning all centers to 24/7 coverage, collecting monthly data on calls, texts, chats; staff hiring, departures and needs; and by
notifying Vibrant within 24 hours when temporary redirects are needed due to staffing, technical or demand issues affecting call centers operations.
-Reach and maintain statewide metrics for 988 calls, texts, and chats, which includes maintaining in-state call, text, and chat answer rates of 90% or higher over time; answering at least 95% of calls, texts and chats within 20 seconds and maintaining an in-state abandonment rate of less than 5% for all services.
-Adopt a unified platform for managing electronic health records (EHR) across all call centers and other areas of the crisis continuum, including mobile crisis and crisis stabilization; identifying an EHR platform that can be used across call centers; and adopting mobile crisis and crisis stabilization no later than January 2024.
In addition to SAMHSA and Vibrant as valued partners and counsel, the department has myriad partners that enable this work to move forward efficiently, collaboratively, and effectively. Partners include: The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Pennsylvania departments of Health, Drug and Alcohol Programs, Aging, Insurance; and an extensive advocacy and stakeholder list that reaches all demographics, including youth, seniors, those with substance use disorder, family members of those with mental health needs, vulnerable populations that include Black, Brown, and Asian American/Pacific Islanders, community members, veterans, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Utilizing a data-driven approach, the project team will collaborate with all 13 call centers to identify strategies needed to increasing staffing, while being responsive to all Pennsylvanians, to ensure successful completion of the key performance indicators. While it is difficult to determine exactly how many Pennsylvanians will be impacted by these initiatives, projections offered by Vibrant suggest an annual call volume exceeding 291,000 contacts. However, with 3.12% of all calls to 988 currently originating from Pennsylvania and a 14 million medium projection of total calls to 988 by year 2, call volume may exceed 438,000.
