LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bamboo Health™, a healthcare technology solutions company focused on fostering care collaboration and providing actionable insights across the entire continuum of care, announces the availability of its Crisis Management System in support of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Presently the Bamboo Health solution is live in two states, with additional launches forthcoming.
Among current Crisis Management System deployments, one state began using Bamboo Health’s solution at the beginning of the year, while the other went live at the end of Q1. Within that time, both states successfully dispatched mobile response teams via the Crisis Management System to individuals experiencing behavioral health crises 4,395 times. Between May and July, there were 359 adult mobile crisis encounters in one state. Further, more than 101 dispatches were resolved at the scene and 159 dispatches led to treatment – with inpatient care management, psychiatric care, and other forms of care or treatment still being determined.
Since the July 16, 2022 launch of the three-digit code, individuals across the nation can now use 988 to call, text, or chat with trained professionals at roughly 200 regional crisis centers nationwide. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 988 Appropriations Report, usage of the hotline is expected to increase to 7.6 million by July 2023, more than double 2020 volume. While the new number automatically reroutes to crisis centers regardless of any other preparation, the implementation of 988 presents the opportunity to change the way the U.S. responds to individuals facing a range of mental health needs and/or substance use disorders at the local level.
Bamboo Health’s Crisis Management System supports regional call centers by coordinating the expected two-fold surge in call volume and expediting access to definitive assessment and treatment for those in crisis. With the Crisis Management System, crisis call center staff can perform digital intake and an assessment and, when necessary, dispatch mobile crisis units to the individual in need. The solution provides staff visibility into available units, fosters communication between call centers and mobile crisis teams, and tracks their location to meet the patient wherever they are located. Through the Crisis Management System, state crisis response teams can assess, follow, and manage an individual’s crisis journey from start to finish, and quickly iterate crisis care delivery using real-time data. This ensures compliance with SAMHSA’s best practice of “no wrong door access,” making sure callers are identified, assessed, and connected to the most appropriate level of treatment.
The Crisis Management System is built on the OpenBeds® platform, which creates a trusted coordinated care treatment network to track availability of behavioral health and substance use treatment facilities, including inpatient beds and outpatient treatment appointments. The solution replaces inefficient manual search and report through a cloud-based, closed-loop referral system. The OpenBeds solution is currently launched across 14 states.
“Unfortunately, the current approach to behavioral health crisis management is piecemeal in many communities with far too many at-risk individuals falling through the cracks. The cost to communities, families, and the broader public is just too great, which is why the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is an incredibly exciting and important step to helping address the behavioral health crisis our nation faces,” said Rob Cohen, chief executive officer of Bamboo Health. “Bamboo Health is proud of our work to develop a comprehensive and integrated behavioral health crisis system that helps close gaps in care and makes it easier for individuals to get access to and receive the behavioral health help they need, when they need it most.”
The Crisis Management System and OpenBeds give states unprecedented transparency through real-time reporting of the crisis care continuum. Regional-level data allows states to allocate resources appropriately to support care delivery improvement. For individual patients, transparency of data supports their crisis care journey, connecting them to the most appropriate care and facilitating unnecessary use of the emergency department or criminal justice system. The technology supports collaboration among behavioral health departments and development services, law enforcement agencies, hospitals, and healthcare facilities, as well as various other behavioral health stakeholders. This helps callers receive individualized care that can help keep them from reentering into the crisis care continuum.
To learn more about Bamboo Health and its resources for implementing a crisis management system, visit www.bamboohealth.com/988-and-implementing-a-crisis-management-system/.
About the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act
The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act was passed in 2020 and established “988” as the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on July 16, 2022. The act requires the Federal Communications Commission to designate “988” as the universal telephone number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. There are roughly 200 regional crisis centers across the U.S. that will field calls via 988 and there will be additional associated services associated with these crisis centers and state governments are also able to impose and collect fees statewide to support the 988 initiative. Ultimately, creating a three-digit, nationwide number as the “911” for such crises will hopefully make it easier for individuals to get access to and receive the mental health help they need.
About Bamboo Health
Bamboo Health is a healthcare technology solutions company, focused on fostering care collaboration and providing information and actionable insights across the entire continuum of care. As one of the largest, most diverse care collaboration networks in the country, our technology solutions equip healthcare providers and payers with software, information, and insights to facilitate whole person care across the physical and behavioral health spectrums. By serving 2,500 hospitals, 8,000 post-acute facilities, 25,000+ pharmacies, 32 health plans, 50 state governments, and over 1 million acute and ambulatory providers through more than 500 clinical information systems electronically, we impact over 1 billion patient encounters annually in provider workflow. Health systems, payers, providers, pharmacies, governments, individuals, and other organizations rely on Bamboo Health to improve care and reduce cost. Connect with Bamboo Health on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Visit www.BambooHealth.com to learn more.
