An advertisement for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 988 hotline is seen at the Shaw-Howard University Metro station in Washington, DC (Eric Harkleroad/KFF Health News/TNS)
Colorado‘s crisis line will have a new operator, but with a two-month delay in the change while the Arizona-based company hires local labor.
Since 2010, Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners has answered calls to the state’s 844-493-8255 (TALK) suicide prevention hotline and those made to the national 2-year 988 Lifeline from a Colorado area code.
The organization’s contract was up for renewal this year and the state opted for a different company, Solari Crisis and Human Services.
Solari responds Calls to Arizona 988 and calls to your state-specific crisis line. The company also takes 988 calls for Oklahoma and acts as a backup center when other states cannot take a call.
In Colorado’s request for proposals, officials said the new contract would begin July 1. However, less than a week before the scheduled change, the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration confirmed that the two companies will operate the lines together until September, when Solari will take over.
“This extension allows for workforce transitions, including current RMCP staff to receive training and onboarding at Solari, which were delayed due to actions taken by RMCP at the end of the rehiring process,” Behavioral Health Administration spokeswoman Stefany Busch said in a statement.
Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners filed an administrative challenge to the state’s decision in May, delaying the transition deadline. He also could have filed an appeal before June 6, but chose not to. Solari and the state did not finalize a contract until Wednesday.
On May 1, Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners filed notice with the Colorado Department of Labor that it would lay off its 330 employees on June 30. Employers can choose not to make layoffs if conditions change.
Employees who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Denver Post in April expressed concern that Solari would not hire people with Colorado experience, which they thought would be jarring to frequent callers to the crisis line who had become accustomed to hear a familiar voice.
The state did not set a specific rate for operating the call center, but accepted offers. Solari said he could handle the combined 988 and state crisis work for about $20 million in the first year and $19.5 million in the second year, according to his proposal filed with the state. Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners’ offer was slightly lower.
Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners referred questions to the Behavioral Health Administration. Solari said he could not comment until he signs his contract with the State.
The federal government launched 988 Lifeline in summer 2022, providing people in crisis with an easier-to-remember alternative to the existing suicide prevention line. Both numbers continue to work and connect callers to the same services.
He most recent data showed that someone in the state answered about 73% of Colorado calls, although Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners said its internal data shows a response rate close to 95%, since it doesn’t count people who hang up in the first few seconds of a call.
In Arizona and Oklahoma, the rates were 90% and 89%, respectively, although each received fewer calls than Colorado.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get health news delivered straight to your inbox.
Keynote USA
For the Latest Local News, Follow Keynote USA Local on Twitter.