Model Definitions for Behavioral Health Emergency, Crisis, and Crisis Related Services

This resource is a collaborative publication that aims to guide the development of community based behavioral health crisis services by clarifying the landscape, goals, and systemic features of crisis services to promote consistency and better access to quality services. It supports and exapnds on the vision developed in the 2025 National Guidelines for a Behavioral Health Coordinated System of Crisis Care, published by SAMHSA.

  Building the Behavioral Health Crisis Workforce

In the past 5 years, significant federal, state, and local efforts have focused on building behavioral health crisis response services and on shifting this responsibility away from law enforcement. However, these efforts have been hampered by limitations of the behavioral health workforce. Strategies are needed to expand the workforce and to ensure that crisis responders have the competencies and skills necessary to meet the needs of the individuals they serve. Existing federal, state, and local mechanisms can be leveraged to support the development of this workforce. This effort includes investing in crisis response workforce development and training, supporting the development of a community behavioral health crisis responder credential, partnering with community colleges to expand the workforce pipeline, and establishing regional centers of excellence for training. It also includes developing strategies to ensure adequate and sustainable funding.

  SAMHSA Model Standards for Crisis Care Workers

National Model Standards for Crisis Care Workers are distinct foundational criteria for certifying or credentialing crisis care providers working across the crisis services continuum. These Standards are designed to serve as guidelines for SMHAs in establishing state provider certifications and credentials by which State Medicaid Authorities, Medicare, Veterans Affairs, Indian Health Service and private payers can reimburse crisis care. By providing criteria that allow for credentialing pathways for nondegreed as well as degreed providers, the Standards are expected to mitigate barriers to workforce expansion while promoting quality and consistency across the crisis care continuum.