Answer:
Current requirements are for each center in the network to develop their own training curriculum that incorporates the 988 Lifeline’s clinical requirements, meets their center and community’s specific local needs, and addresses the training requirements of their chosen accrediting body/bodies. These include making sure that the training program instructs crisis counselors to assess safety/risk in a way that aligns with 988 Lifeline Suicide Safety Assessment standards, and that centers train their crisis counselors to address all of the 988 Lifeline required policies related to working with callers, chatters, and texters.
The 988 Lifeline launched an online learning portal in November 2022 with a core clinical curriculum to support crisis centers across the country and ensure that anyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline receives consistent, effective, research-based support from any crisis counselor. This curriculum provides foundational information. The 988 Lifeline’s online courses will supplement the crisis counselor training that centers currently provide their staff and volunteers. In addition, the 988 Lifeline offers several other educational resources to support centers with their training needs, including interactive simulation trainings, a Safety Assessment informational website, and a Network Resource website filled with guidance documents, tip sheets, and archived webinars on a wide variety of clinical and operational topics.