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Behavioral health officials point to 988 fund, opioid settlement and mobile crisis plans as tools to expand crisis response
Summary
The Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health told the Joint Finance Committee it will use the new 988 surcharge fund and opioid settlement money to stand up a behavioral health crisis communication center, expand mobile crisis teams and support a digital treatment referral network while warning workforce gaps remain.
Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAM) Director provided the Joint Finance Committee an update on overdose trends, crisis services and the division's FY26 governor's recommended budget.
The division said the state has started collecting 988 surcharge fees; receipts for January through November 2024 totaled about $8.3 million, and the division projects roughly $8 million to $9 million annually. The DSAM director said the Behavioral Health Crisis Communication Center (BHCCC) will use a portion of those monies to consolidate crisis phone/chat/text lines and coordinate mobile crisis response so callers reach a single, unified service routed through 988.
What the division is funding and building: - DSAM reported a FY26 GRB of $133,003,000 in general funds; $14,816,200 in appropriated special funds; and $24,593,000 in…
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