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New Practical Guide on Advising Patients on Using 988 vs 911
Missouri Medicaid (MO HealthNet)·MO · Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Practice +3 more·Provider Notice
Effective date
Dec 26, 2024
We identified it
Jun 20, 2026
Summary
SAMHSA released a new practical guide to help healthcare providers advise patients on when to use 988 (mental health crisis line) versus 911 (emergency services). The guide includes conversation scripts, crisis intervention techniques, and real-world scenarios to support providers in integrating crisis care discussions into routine practice.
Action Required
Immediately: Providers should review the new SAMHSA guide on 988 vs 911 usage and consider integrating crisis care conversations into routine patient visits. No billing system changes required, but clinical staff should familiarize themselves with the provided scripts and de-escalation techniques for better patient crisis management.