National Guidelines for Child and Youth Behavioral Health Crisis Care

Abstract

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline transitioned to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in July 2022. This free, confidential system provides 24/7/365 behavioral health crisis response through text, chat, and voice calls. Congress increased its appropriation for the crisis center service to address rising rates of behavioral health crises across America. This transition represents an unparalleled opportunity to improve the delivery of crisis care in every community in the country. It also elevates our responsibility to ensure that crisis response services meet the needs of children, youth, and young adults, and their families and caregivers. The need for developmentally appropriate crisis response services for youth is acute. Yet, while many crisis response systems have robust services in place for adults, there are often considerable gaps in capacity to serve youth and families. Too often, youth experiencing behavioral health crisis face hospitalization or justice system involvement, instead of the home- and community-based services they need to de-escalate and stabilize. This is especially true for youth populations that have experienced high unmet behavioral health needs, including LGBTQ+, Black, and American Indian and Alaska Native youth. The National Guidelines for Child and Youth Behavioral Health Crisis Care provides guidance on how states and communities can address these gaps. It offers best practices, implementation strategies, and practical guidance for the design and development of services that meet the needs of American children and their families experiencing a behavioral health crisis.