C8 - 911 and 988 Collaboration — Progress and the Path to Ensuring the Right Response at the Right Time

Monday, April 27, 2026

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM MDT

Location: Bluebird 3G

Unrestricted Education Sponsor

Vibrant the National 988 Administrator has worked closely with NENA - the National Emergency Numbers Association on two critical standards. This presentation will highlight the NENA Suicide/Crisis Line Interoperability Standard and the NENA Standard for 911/988 Interactions. Presenters will detail how centers are operationalizing these standards in their communities and discuss terms to use as 988 centers interact with 911 so that all parties are speaking the same language in the service of people in crisis. Essential elements of community MOUS will be discussed as well as examples of successful community partnerships between 911 and 988 centers.

Learning Objectives:

Learners will be able to describe two critical standards that govern 988 and 911 interactions in the service to people in crisis
Attendees will be able to identify key elements of effective collaboration between 988 and 911
Attendees will be able to describe how 988 and 911 standards can be applied in their own community
Explain how embedding behavioral health clinicians in 911 call centers can improve crisis response based upon reasearch findings.
Discuss opportunities and challenges for replicating clinician-embedded 911 models nationwide.

Disclosure(s):

Wendy Martinez Farmer, LPC MBA: No financial relationships to disclose

Shye Louis, MEd: No financial relationships to disclose

April Heinze: No financial relationships to disclose

Marisa Malik, LPC: No financial relationships to disclose

Todd Olmstead, PhD, M.S.: No financial relationships to disclose

Kedra Priest, LPC: No financial relationships to disclose

Breakout Presenter(s)

Wendy Martinez Farmer, LPC MBA

Vice President for 988 Strategy, Quality Improvement and Clinical Standards (988 Lifeline)
Vibrant Emotional Health
New York, New York

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

Slides
Shye Louis, MEd

AVP - 988 Clinical Standards, Training & Practices
Vibrant Emotional Health
New York, New York

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Marisa Malik, LPC

Director of Crisis Services and Justice Initiatives
Integral Care
Austin, Texas

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Kedra Priest, LPC

Practice Administrator of Crisis Services
Integral Care
Austin, Texas

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose