Friday, April 26, 2024
4/26/2024
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is applying for the 988 State and Territory Cooperative Agreement in order to improve Texas' response to 988 contacts originating in Texas. If awarded, HHSC plans to implement a multi-pronged approach to improve its 988 response, including the in-state answer rate, and take meaningful steps towards achieving key SAMHSA funding targets and performance indicators. In order to achieve these goals, HHSC will continue to leverage its existing robust crisis continuum and conduct a comprehensive review of current statewide capabilities to inform future direction during the project period which may include, but not be limited to, contracting or subcontracting with entities to expand in-state Lifeline services capacity. HHSC plans to continue building off the work accomplished through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Capacity Building Grant SAMHSA awarded to HHSC for federal fiscal years 2020 and 2021. At the start of the grant period (October 2019), Texas' in-state answer rate was 30 percent and at the close of the grant period (September 2021), the in-state answer rate increased to 39 percent. Throughout the grant period, MHMR Tarrant answered 12,460 Lifeline calls, Emergence answered 9,497 calls, Integral Care answered 22,889 calls, and The Harris Center answered 35,689 calls. Additionally, through the work of the 988 Planning Grant, coalition members representing various agencies vested in the interest of reducing suicide and mental health crises in Texas, convened over several months to develop a roadmap for Texas' implementation of 988/Lifeline services. HHSC has already begun implementing the coalition's recommendations, which will further increase Texas' footprint in ensuring 988/Lifeline service calls originating in Texas are answered locally and resources are made available to any person who contacts 988/Lifeline. HHSC and its partners are strongly committed to working towards the minimum required in-state answer rate of 90 percent by the end of the fiscal year 2024. HHSC will contract with partners to ensure efforts are increased in recruiting, hiring, training, and expanding the behavioral health workforce in Texas to uniformly respond locally to persons who call, chat, or text into 988/Lifeline services. Based on Vibrant's 2021 Lifeline data of actual number of calls offered to Texas Lifeline centers, the anticipated number of calls answered during the grant term is 329,108; the number of persons served as a result of the award of this grant may vary to account for multiple contacts to the Lifeline per person served and any increase in contacts to the Lifeline after the 988 rollout.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
