Addressing Behavioral Health Emergencies: The Role of Crisis Call Centers

Mental health is a critical part of our overall health and well-being, and when a person is experiencing a crisis, every second counts. Behavioral health emergencies must be addressed with as much urgency as physical health emergencies. Crisis call centers do just that, serving an essential role in the emergency care system by providing prompt, compassionate, specialized knowledge and support in behavioral health emergencies. An extensive nationwide network of local and state-funded crisis centers supports the 988 Lifeline, sometimes referred to as “911 for behavioral health,” staffed by specially trained agents responding to urgent calls, texts, and chats.
 

How Crisis Call Centers Operate

States fund mental health emergency services and hire companies like Carelon Behavioral Health to operate crisis call centers that serve people who reach out to the nationwide 988 Lifeline. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Kansas contract with Carelon to operate crisis line calls and responses. Carelon’s crisis call centers work cohesively with local teams to create a unified system of comprehensive care to respond swiftly, effectively, and empathetically to anyone experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis.

When a person contacts a Carelon Behavioral Health crisis line, crisis call center agents make the initial connection with the person and assess their safety. Consulting with the person, the agents identify the nature of the crisis and the support the person needs. They offer practical solutions, refer services, and, when necessary, dispatch on-site mobile crisis response teams (counselors and peers with lived experience). If there’s a risk of self-harm or possible danger to others, they arrange immediate emergency assistance with police or fire first responders.
 

Unified Behavioral Healthcare Approach

Carelon Behavioral Health’s Crisis Center of Excellence (COE) is a strategic initiative that partners with communities to offer expertise, planning, and implementation of crisis call centers and response systems tailored to each community’s unique needs. The COE, launched in 2023, consists of subject matter experts supporting local services to effectively manage crises and foster resiliency and recovery. It integrates licensed clinicians, mental health professionals, and people with lived experience, along with national and local resources, to provide a 24-hours per day, 7-days per week comprehensive crisis system. The COE’s role includes designing, enabling, and supporting programs; training staff and managing quality; analyzing insights; and supporting policy through thought leadership.
 

Why Crisis Call Centers Matter

Crisis call centers are pivotal in emergencies where time is of the essence. They effectively respond to and manage mental health emergencies, complementing and augmenting the work of first responders like law enforcement by offering prompt, individualized attention. In some circumstances, simply having someone to talk to can de-escalate a situation, and the use of mobile crisis teams can also reduce unnecessary visits to emergency departments. Carelon’s team approaches each individual’s crisis with knowledge, compassion, and a focus on improved results and recovery.
 

Crisis System Oversight and Management

In addition to operating crisis call centers in three states, Carelon Behavioral Health also consults with states across the country, sharing best practices and assisting in the setup of mental health hotlines. It can quickly establish crisis lines following natural disasters within 6-12 hours. Rather than shutting down after dealing with the immediate crisis, Carelon’s crisis lines stay permanently active, making them a long-term source of support for individuals and communities.

Grounded in an empathetic, whole-health approach, Carelon Behavioral Health is transforming and optimizing behavioral health crisis care, ensuring help is always within reach.