Silver State Times

The Nevada Board of Examiners has approved a $49.7 million contract with Carelon Behavioral Health to establish a new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline call center in Southern Nevada. This facility is expected to become operational within six months, enhancing the state's capacity to manage crisis calls.

Governor Joe Lombardo expressed optimism about the development, stating, “Nevada continues to refine, expand, and improve our implementation of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to support Nevadans.” He emphasized that this partnership will enable faster service and greater access for residents seeking assistance.

Residents can contact the 988 Lifeline at any time by calling or texting 988 or visiting 988Lifeline.org. Trained Crisis Counselors are available to assist individuals experiencing stress or crisis and provide guidance on supporting others in distress.

Briana Duffy, CEO of Carelon Behavioral Health, shared her enthusiasm for the project: “At Carelon, we have a passion for providing effective crisis response partnerships and are thrilled to be helping support Nevada take this important next step.”

Currently, Nevada is served by one call center operated by Crisis Support Services of Nevada (CSSNV) in Reno. Carelon plans to integrate CSSNV into its operations while maintaining its status as a key member of their national network.

Carelon projects that with enhanced technology and administration through this second call center, 95% of calls will be answered within 20 seconds. As reported in September 2024, only 76% of calls were being answered locally before routing to a national backup center.

Rachel Isherwood from the Division of Public and Behavioral Health remarked on the significance of this expansion: “Since the launch of 988 two years ago... I’m confident that this partnership with Carelon is that solution.”

Statistics indicate that most callers experiencing suicidal thoughts can be stabilized without further intervention. Vibrant Emotional Health reports less than 2% require law enforcement involvement.

Laura Yanez from NAMI Western Nevada highlighted the importance of increased capacity: “An increase in capacity... has huge, positive implications for Nevada’s behavioral health system.”

Post-implementation with Carelon will see co-location of Crisis Counselors with 911 dispatchers in Clark and Washoe counties. This integration aims to streamline responses between services based on caller needs.

LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill noted: “Coordination between our 911 Communications Specialists and the Crisis Counselors improves efficiency... The collaboration is invaluable."