Establishes the operations necessary for a 988 hotline for suicide prevention/behavioral health crisis management. Establishes the operations necessary for acute mental health crisis outreach/stabilization services in direct response to the 988 hotline.

Rhode Island 988 Call Center and BH Link Operations Act

This bill establishes the formal rules and structure for operating Rhode Island's 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — the three-digit phone number people can call when experiencing a mental health or suicide crisis. The legislation spells out how the call center should function, who runs it, and what standards it must meet to ensure people in crisis get timely, appropriate help when they reach out by phone, text, or chat.

Beyond just answering calls, the bill also sets up a system for acute mental health crisis outreach and stabilization services — meaning trained teams would be available to respond directly in the community when someone calls 988 and needs more than just a phone conversation. This is connected to Rhode Island's existing BH Link (Behavioral Health Link) program, which serves as a hub for connecting people to mental health and substance use services. The bill formalizes and coordinates these two components so they work together as a unified crisis response system.

This legislation would affect Rhode Island residents experiencing mental health crises, suicidal thoughts, or behavioral health emergencies, as well as their families and caregivers who may call on their behalf. It would also impact healthcare providers, crisis response workers, and state agencies involved in delivering these services. The goal is to ensure that when someone in Rhode Island dials 988, there is a reliable, well-organized system ready to help — from the initial phone call all the way through in-person support if needed.

The bill has been introduced in the Senate and referred to the Health and Human Services Committee, where it is currently being held for further study.