Today SAMHSA released updated National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidance(National Guidance), comprised of three documents:
- 2025 National Guidelines for a Behavioral Health Coordinated System of Crisis Care
- Model Definitions for Behavioral Health Emergency, Crisis, and Crisis-Related Services
- Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit Draft (being released today for public comment)
The updated National Guidance reflects the U.S. transition to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in 2022 and other progress and emerging needs related to behavioral health crisis care, and provides a framework for transforming behavioral health crisis care systems in communities throughout the United States, at a time when the U.S. continues to face record high rates of suicide and overdose.
These documents provide a framework for transforming behavioral health crisis care systems in communities throughout the United States with the goal of saving lives by helping anyone experiencing a behavioral health crisis anytime, anywhere. They are intended to support communities in designing, implementing, and continuously improving their crisis care systems, ensuring that individuals in crisis receive timely and effective support.
The National Guidance expands on the importance of supporting the whole person and family system, incorporating youth and developmental considerations that were separately described in the National Guidelines 2022. The guidelines place emphasis on follow-up services, care coordination, critical service intersections, and crisis systems development and reflect the national crisis landscape after the nation’s transition to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Read the National Guidance and submit comments on Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit by March 21. Read More
