Recognizing the limitations of traditional facilities like jails and emergency departments for handling psychiatric emergencies, mobile crisis response teams are pioneering new ways to improve access to mental health care. 

Addressing the behavioral health crisis requires a collaborative effort, as no single agency can tackle this challenge alone. Effective partnerships among stakeholders are essential for improving community outcomes, particularly for mobile crisis response teams, which can improve their efficiency and impact through collaboration.

When developing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for crisis services, it's essential to provide potential providers with clear context about your community's needs. This ensures they can craft tailored proposals that effectively address local challenges. Here’s a cohesive look at the key elements to include in your RFP: 

While rural areas are often celebrated for their natural beauty and close-knit communities, many are facing a pressing mental health crisis that affects their residents. The demand for accessible mental health care has become increasingly urgent, particularly as mental illness and suicide rates have increased. Accessing resources can be especially challenging in rural settings, where limited healthcare options and stigma deter individuals from seeking help. Many find themselves navigating a system that often leads them to emergency departments or county jails—spaces ill-equipped to address their behavioral health needs. 

Creating a crisis response center involves strategic planning, expert input, and strong community engagement. Just like fire stations and police departments, these centers are vital for safely and effectively helping individuals in distress. Here’s how to ensure your crisis response center is designed for success: 

When preparing to release a solicitation for a crisis response center (CRC), it’s essential to focus on securing the necessary licensing and understanding regulatory requirements. Providing clear and detailed information about your community’s licensing framework is crucial for ensuring that potential providers can operate smoothly and without unexpected interruptions. 

We are thrilled to announce that Connections Kirkland has been honored with the prestigious 2024 Senior Housing News (SHN) Architecture & Design Award in the Behavioral Health Category. This award recognizes the most innovative and thoughtfully designed behavioral health facilities, and we are incredibly proud that our center in Kirkland, Washington, has been selected as the winner. 

Establishing and maintaining a crisis response center is crucial for effective mental health care, but it requires a well-thought-out strategy to ensure financial sustainability. Many U.S. cities have not invested sufficiently in these essential services, highlighting a significant funding gap. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing underscores that crisis response centers are as vital as law enforcement and emergency medical services, demanding sustainable funding to function effectively. 

Writing a solicitation to identify a provider to build and/or operate a comprehensive crisis response center is a complex endeavor that requires a thorough review of the current crisis continuum in the community to identify any existing gaps and barriers. Before writing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a crisis center response, local stakeholders must carefully consider the questions they will pose to potential respondents. These questions are crucial for ensuring that the selected provider aligns with community needs, adheres to national standards, and demonstrates a clear approach to care.  

Across the U.S., county governments are at the forefront of transforming behavioral health crisis response. The launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, along with the growing presence of mobile crisis teams, has intensified the focus on establishing Crisis Response Centers (CRCs). These centers are vital for alleviating the burden on first responders, hospitals, and detention centers – which currently serve as a default solution for those in crisis. 

With 75 percent of the U.S. population reliant on county-based behavioral health services through more than 750 county-supported or operated behavioral health authorities, it is essential that counties looking to partner on the operations of a CRC create concise and effective requests for proposals (RFPs).