Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) Steering Committee
The DDH Steering Committee will provide subject matter expertise on disaster behavioral health, disaster emotional and spiritual care, suicide prevention/crisis/trauma, and/or disaster preparedness response, and recovery (including emergency management) as it relates to behavioral health concerns that exist throughout the disaster cycle.
Committee Lead: Christian Burgess
Executive Sponsor: Ryan Kaspar
988 Lifeline National Steering
The role of the 988 Lifeline Steering Committee is to provide expert guidance on issues that affect the network’s primary administrators, partners, crisis centers, and those that use the 988 Lifeline network, and help integrate the work of the Lifeline into state and local health and behavioral health systems around the country.
Standards, Training, and Practices
Vibrant’s 988 Lifeline Clinical Standards, Training, and Practices (STP) Department oversees activities designed to promote and enhance best practices in the policies and practices of the 988 Lifeline network contact centers and in the direct service delivery of skilled counselors at each center. The STP Committee provides subject matter expertise from their respective disciplines and backgrounds (research, training, crisis center experience, lived experience) to support the 988 Lifeline STP team in identifying and developing essential standards, practices, and related trainings for crisis center practice.
Lived Experience
The 988 Lifeline Individual and Family Lived Experience Committee ensures that the 988 Lifeline is effectively reaching critical and diverse populations at higher risk for suicide by reviewing and providing feedback from their communities on standard network practices, marketing materials/promotional campaigns, evaluations of network coverage, and helpseeker demographics; and by representing and disseminating 988 Lifeline tools and messages within their communities and with their stakeholders. This committee submits their recommendations to both 988 Lifeline leadership and the 988 Lifeline Steering Committee.
Communications and Marketing
Vibrant’s Communications and Marketing Department’s goal is to raise awareness and increase visibility of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to all people in emotional and suicidal crises across the U.S. states and territories. The Communications and Marketing Committee will act as advisors to, and messengers of, 988 Lifeline marketing, promotional, and awareness initiatives. They will advise on adapting 988 Lifeline key messages and resources for communities that have been historically harmed and excluded from or are new to, suicide prevention and mental health spaces.
Network Engagement
The Network Center Committee will be composed of crisis center staff to proactively co-develop solutions to key crisis center topics, in partnership with Vibrant’s Center Engagement Department, and promote collaboration and knowledge sharing among centers across the 988 Lifeline Network.
Join a Lifeline 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Committee
The Lifeline seeks to instill hope, sustain living, and promote the health, safety, and well-being of the communities it serves. In order to achieve this, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline utilizes the guidance of expert advisors – including people with lived or firsthand experience of suicide ideation, attempt, or loss of a loved one, and/or involvement with prevention efforts – to continually improve 988 Lifeline services and messaging. These individuals bring invaluable knowledge and support to our mission.
