H79FG001209

988 State and Territory Improvement - The Maryland Department of Health is Behavioral Health Administration (BHA), in partnership with jurisdictions and Maryland Lifeline Crisis Centers, will build local 988 capacity with the $9,728,112 ($3,242,704 per year for three years, contingent on annual federal appropriations) FY 2023 cooperative agreements for states and territories to improve local 988 capacity (SAMHSA FG 23-006).

This project will increase the state's responsiveness to 988 contacts, including calls, chats, and texts, originating in Maryland. Maryland's lifetime call, text, and chat volume has significantly increased since 988 launched in July 2022. Grant funds will be used by Maryland Lifeline Crisis Centers to maintain and expand their workforce to respond to this increase in need and to ensure that 988 services are accessible, responsive, and effective in serving the needs of all Maryland residents.

During the project, BHA will be working with Lifeline Crisis Centers and other stakeholders to:
- Enhance recruitment, hiring, and training of the 988 workforce to meet at minimum 90 percent of the state calls, chats, and text demand;
- Implement additional technology and security measures to fully support 988 infrastructure and effective coordination across the crisis continuum;
- Improve 988 support and service for high-risk and underserved populations;
- Develop and implement comprehensive quality assurance plans, to include identification and review of critical incidents; and
- Continue to develop and implement comprehensive 988 communication plans in alignment with SAMHSA's 988 Partners Toolkit.

The state will measure its project success in this grant using the following key performance targets:
- 90% or more of calls, chats, and texts originating in Maryland will be answered by Maryland Lifeline Crisis Centers.
- 95% of answered contacts in Maryland are answered within 20 seconds.
- 90% of answered contacts in Maryland are answered in 15 seconds.
- Less than 5% of contacts disconnect prior to being answered by a Maryland Crisis Center.
- Less than 10% of Maryland phone contacts rollover to a non-Maryland backup center.

Maryland has currently achieved, as of April 2023, a 90% average in-state answer rate for calls, a 49% average in-state answer rate for texts, and a 42% average in-state answer rate for chats. For that same month, our current contact abandon rate is 10%, and our average speed-to-answer is 30 seconds.

Maryland Department Of Health

SAMHSA WAS GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO ADDRESS PRIORITY SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT, PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE THROUGH ASSISTANCE (GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS) TO STATES, POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF STATES, INDIAN TRIBES AND TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER PUBLIC OR NONPROFIT PRIVATE ENTITIES. UNDER THESE SECTIONS, CSAT, CMHS AND CSAP SEEK TO EXPAND THE AVAILABILITY OF EFFECTIVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SERVICES AVAILABLE TO AMERICANS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THOSE AFFECTED BY ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDITIONS, AND TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE ON INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES AND SOCIETIES AND TO ADDRESS PRIORITY MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE AND ASSIST CHILDREN IN DEALING WITH VIOLENCE AND TRAUMATIC EVENTS THROUGH BY FUNDING GRANT AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PROJECTS. GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS MAY BE FOR (1) KNOWLEDGE AND DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION PROJECTS FOR TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION AND THE CONDUCT OR SUPPORT OF EVALUATIONS OF SUCH PROJECTS, (2) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, (3) TARGETED CAPACITY RESPONSE PROGRAMS (4) SYSTEMS CHANGE GRANTS INCLUDING STATEWIDE FAMILY NETWORK GRANTS AND CLIENT-ORIENTED AND CONSUMER RUN SELF-HELP ACTIVITIES AND (5) PROGRAMS TO FOSTER HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN, (6) COORDINATION AND INTEGRATION OF PRIMARY CARE SERVICES INTO PUBLICLY-FUNDED COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SETTINGS

93.243 - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance

Division of Grants Management [HHS - SAMHSA]

Maryland United States

State-Wide

Cooperative Agreements for States and Territories to Improve Local 988 Capacity (FG-23-006)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 200% from $3,333,432 to $9,986,597.