American Rescue Plan Provides a New Opportunity for States to Invest in Equitable, Comprehensive and Integrated Crisis Services

This commentary analyzes the state option established by the American Rescue Plan to provide community mobile crisis intervention services for a five-year period beginning in April 2022. The new mobile crisis provision arrives just as many states and localities are exploring strategies to address the worsening behavioral health—mental health and substance use disorder – as well as preparing for implementation of 998, the new, national hotline for behavioral health crises. For states and localities reviewing their policing procedures, the new option also could be used to support state efforts to refine the role of law enforcement in responding to behavioral health crisis, offering more resources to the police on such calls or, in some instances, even entirely avoiding the need for law enforcement.