                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

POWERS AND DUTIES OF CRISIS CALL CENTER (§ 37.2-311.2)

A. The crisis call center established by the Department pursuant to &#xA7;
37.2-311.1 shall provide crisis intervention services and crisis care
coordination to individuals accessing the NSPL from any jurisdiction in the
Commonwealth 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

B. In administering the crisis call center, the Department shall:

   1. Apply for participation in and enter into an agreement with the NSPL
   Administrator for participation within the NSPL;

   2. Meet NSPL requirements and best practices guidelines for operational and
   clinical standards;

   3. Report, provide data, and participate in evaluations and related quality
   improvement activities as required by the NSPL Administrator;

   4. Use technology, including chat and text, that is interoperable across
   crisis and emergency response systems used throughout the Commonwealth and
   that is consistent with any standards promulgated by the NSPL Administrator;

   5. Deploy crisis and outgoing services, including mobile crisis teams and
   community care teams;

   6. Coordinate access to the comprehensive crisis system or other local
   resources as appropriate and according to guidelines and best practices
   established by the NSPL Administrator;

   7. Actively collaborate with local community service boards to coordinate
   linkages for persons contacting the NSPL with ongoing care needs;

   8. Establish formal agreements with local community services boards as it
   deems appropriate;

   9. Coordinate access to the comprehensive crisis system for individuals
   accessing the NSPL through appropriate information sharing regarding
   availability of services;

   10. Work with the NSPL Administrator and VCL networks to establish consistency
   of public messaging about services provided by the NSPL;

   11. Meet any requirements set forth by the NSPL Administrator for serving
   high-risk and specialized populations as identified by SAMHSA, including any
   policies and training requirements for providing linguistically and cultural
   competent care and, if appropriate, transferring such callers to an
   appropriate specialized center or subnetwork within or external to the NSPL
   network;

   12. Provide follow-up services to individuals who access the NSPL consistent
   with guidance and policies established by the NSPL;

   13. Report any information required by the U.S. Federal Communications
   Commission, including information regarding the collection and expenditure by
   the Commonwealth of state and federal funds for the purposes of administering
   the call center, and regarding the use of the NSPL through the crisis call
   center;

   14. Establish any work group or task force as necessary to administer the
   provisions of this section and &#xA7;&#xA7; 37.2-311.1 and 37.2-311.3; and

   15. Comply with any applicable requirements, including associated deadlines,
   of the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, P.L. 116-172.

HISTORY: 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 248.