The demand for crisis services continues to rise, and communities are looking for solutions to expand and sustain their crisis response workforce. Gaps in a crisis response system shift the burden to law enforcement and hospitals, increasing the likelihood of unnecessary justice involvement and emergency department use for the people the system is meant to serve.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “workforce shortages are the largest barrier to providing behavioral health crisis services 24/7 statewide.” Communities are working creatively to bolster the crisis workforce by including expanded professional backgrounds, developing flexible work arrangements, and more.
With these competing priorities, crisis response teams need guidance to ensure that crisis services are delivered effectively and consistently across teams, so that these critical services remain available and responsive to community needs.
Building a crisis care system requires intentional planning and design. The Systems Mapping and Training Center’s crisis offerings help agencies and communities build a robust, sustainable crisis response workforce. Drawing on real-world experience as responders in the field and national crisis technical assistance providers, our team can help your community address its most pressing crisis needs, whether that be workforce competency, standardized onboarding practices, operational workflows, cross-system collaboration, and sustainability. Our offerings account for the reality on the ground, bridging the knowledge of practical application and evidence-based practices to provide a consistent framework for standardizing care.
Our Offerings
CRISIS (Crisis Responder Intervention Skills & Instructional Standards) Trainings
A 40-hour, in-person curriculum for licensed and unlicensed crisis response staff, built by PRA staff who have worked as crisis responders and clinical supervisors. This training emphasizes scenario-based skill development and covers crisis response skills, legal considerations, person-first crisis care, responder safety, and more. The curriculum aligns with recommendations set forth in SAMHSA’s Advisory: Model Standards for Crisis Care Workers. An adapted 20-hour version is available for crisis staff in brick-and-mortar settings.
Key Partner Convenings
Facilitated sessions that bring behavioral health, public safety, emergency communications, health care, and community partners together to map the crisis system, align on priorities, and develop an action plan for implementation. These sessions can be customized to focus on crisis diversion, program implementation, and sustainability planning.
Crisis Technical Assistance Packages
Customized in-person and virtual support for crisis leadership and front-line staff to address topics such as crisis system design, workflow development, implementation coaching, evaluation, and sustainability planning.
Where to Start
Whether you are launching a crisis program, strengthening an existing team, or planning for expansion and sustainability, the Systems Mapping and Training Center at PRA can provide targeted support from workforce development through system-level implementation.
| Your Stage | Common Needs | Where to Start |
|---|---|---|
| Launching or refining | Crisis continuum design and alignment with cross-system partners, staffing recruitment and retention plans, onboarding and continuing education planning, best practices for programmatic policies and procedures | Implementation-focused key Partner Convening, then technical assistance for system design and workflows |
| Strengthening an existing program or system | Strengthening workflows, crisis system integration, developing partnerships, building diversion pathways | Diversion-focused Key Partner Convening, CRISIS Training, and focused technical assistance |
| Expanding or sustaining | Sustainability planning, crisis peer specialist services integration, data collection and sharing, funding continuity, and governance | Technical assistance for evaluation and sustainability, and a sustainability-focused Key Partner Convening as partners change |
Participants
PRA works with the agencies that fund, run, and staff crisis response:
- State and county behavioral health authorities
- Mobile crisis and co-responder programs
- Law enforcement agencies and first responder partners
- 988 contact centers and 911 emergency communications
- Crisis stabilization and receiving centers
- Health care systems, community-based organizations, and not-for-profit organizations
- People with lived experience and their families
Include Us in Your Funding Application
If your organization is pursuing planning, implementation, expansion, workforce, evaluation, or sustainability funding, PRA can help you scope technical assistance activities and structure them within your application. Contact us at least 2 weeks before your application is due.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow-Up Assistance
Follow-up technical help is not always needed after your crisis system services event. But some jurisdictions find additional assistance useful. If your community wants more support, the Systems Mapping and Training Center is here. The Center can host follow-up meetings, including facilitated strategic planning sessions, give guidance and resources, or connect you with topic experts. These follow-up opportunities are offered on a fee-for-service basis if the need comes up.
