988 Lifeline National Steering Committee
The role of the 988 Lifeline National 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.
Committee Lead and Executive Sponsor: Tia Dole
Communications and Marketing Committee
The Communications and Marketing Committee works to ensure that the Lifeline is effectively reaching communities and individuals in emotional distress and suicidal crisis, especially populations at high risk of suicide.
Committee Lead: Nicole Twohig
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. The lived experience of survivors and responders of natural and human-caused disasters will be respected and valued, informing all aspects of DDH operations, outreach, communications, standards, trainings, and practices, etc.
Committee Lead: Christian Burgess
Executive Sponsor: Ryan Kaspar
Lived Experience Committee
The 988 Lifeline Lived Experience Committee plays a foundational role in ensuring that the Lifeline’s services, programmatic frameworks, and engagement strategies are reflective of all communities and individuals in emotional distress and suicidal crisis by centering lived experience perspectives. Committee members will provide feedback on a variety of topics, from communication and outreach strategies to clinical best practices and evaluations of the Lifeline’s services. Lived Experience Committee members will also provide feedback on the future direction of the 988 Lifeline’s services, including exploring new modalities, language accessibility, and other programmatic strategies that will increase the quality and inclusivity of the services provided.
Committee lead: Johnell Lawrence
Executive Sponsor: Sa’uda Dunlap
Network Center Committee
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.
Committee Lead: Katie Stubblefield and Laura Handler
Standards, Training, and Practices Committee
The STPC works to identify and recommend essential standards, practices, and related trainings for crisis center practice.
Committee Lead: Robyn Filler
Executive Sponsor: Shye Louis
Join a 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Committee
The 988 Suicide & Crisis 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 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.
