CrisisCon 2025 Recap: Five Critical Takeaways for the Future of Crisis Care
Our team recently returned from CrisisCon 2025 with notebooks full of insights and a renewed sense of urgency about the work ahead.
The conference brought together crisis care leaders, policymakers, technology providers, and frontline workers, all working to strengthen the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and the broader crisis continuum.
Here's what we learned.
1. Funding Remains the #1 Challenge, And It's Getting More Complex
The conversation around sustainable 988 funding has evolved significantly.
Twelve states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands have implemented telecom fees to support 988, but these fees range dramatically, from just $0.08 to $0.60 per line. Compare that to 911 fees, which average $1 to $5, and the gap becomes clear. States like Washington and Colorado are already finding their fees insufficient to meet demand.
Nineteen states have created dedicated trust funds to prevent diversion of 988 resources, though creating a fund doesn't guarantee it will be filled. Only five states have established recurring appropriations, and those remain vulnerable during budget cycles. The enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for crisis services is available in 22 states, but it expires in March 2027. This is creating a looming cliff that could destabilize programs just as they're gaining momentum.
The federal uncertainty compounds these challenges, particularly for Medicaid expansion states. As one panelist put it: "We're building the plane while flying it, and we're not sure how much fuel we have left."
2. Data Integration Is No Longer Optional. It's Essential
One of the most compelling sessions focused on sentinel event reporting and data sharing. Crisis centers must now report sentinel events within 24 hours and are beginning to track near misses as well. What stood out was the speed of response: multidisciplinary reviews are returning recommendations within just five days.
States like Utah, Maryland, and North Dakota are pioneering centralized data systems that connect medical examiner records with crisis response data. The lesson is clear: centralized, standardized data doesn't just improve accountability, it saves lives by identifying patterns and prevention opportunities that fragmented systems miss entirely.
The need for interoperability came up repeatedly. Shared data platforms, simplified workflows, and sandbox testing environments aren't nice-to-haves anymore. They're fundamental infrastructure for a functioning crisis system.
3. Technology Adoption in Behavioral Health Is Finally Catching Up
Behavioral health has historically lagged behind physical health in technology funding and adoption, but that's changing rapidly. However, the path isn't always smooth. Multiple speakers emphasized that software rollouts are more complex than many organizations anticipate. Success requires alignment between program leadership, vendors, and IT project management—what one presenter called the "dream team."
Critical infrastructure needs include strong backup plans for outages and redundancy to avoid single points of failure. The message: invest in technology thoughtfully, plan for complexity, and prioritize tools that reduce staff burden rather than adding to it.
4. 988 Is Working, And the Data Proves It
Amid all the challenges, let's not lose sight of the profound impact 988 is already having. Ninety-eight percent of callers experiencing suicidal ideation found their calls helpful, and 88% said the call stopped them from acting on suicidal thoughts. The average call lasts just 15 minutes—a remarkably efficient intervention for such high-stakes moments.
Congress has proposed $519 to $534 million in federal support for 988, and September 8 has been officially recognized as 988 Day nationally. Awareness is rising steadily, from 22% to 74% in some measurements, and 28 states now require 988 to be printed on student IDs.
Artificial intelligence is beginning to play a supportive role, not in user-facing applications, but in counselor training simulations, call monitoring for quality improvement, and coaching. The focus remains squarely on augmenting human connection, not replacing it.
5. Workforce Sustainability Cannot Be Ignored
Perhaps the most sobering conversation centered on counselor wellness and retention. Average turnover in crisis centers hovers around 18 months. The work takes a toll: exposure to suicide, abusive callers, and the relentless emotional weight of crisis after crisis creates vicarious trauma that many organizations are only beginning to address systematically.
Vibrant Emotional Health and Mayo Clinic are collaborating on research into counselor wellness. New guidance is emerging on managing abusive callers and supporting staff after suicide exposure. The consensus: if we can't sustain the workforce, we can't sustain the system.
Leadership matters enormously here. Organizations that prioritize staff wellness, create psychologically safe cultures, and invest in ongoing support see better retention and, ultimately, better outcomes for the people they serve.
What This Means for the Road Ahead
CrisisCon 2025 made one thing abundantly clear: we're at an inflection point. The infrastructure for crisis care is expanding rapidly, but sustainability questions loom large. Federal uncertainty, Medicaid risks, and workforce challenges could undermine years of progress if we don't address them head-on.
At the same time, the potential is extraordinary. Mobile crisis teams are reducing emergency department boarding and psychiatric holds. Coordination between 911 and 988 is improving, albeit unevenly. A new national database of tribal resources launched this year, improving access for Indigenous communities. Follow-up protocols for suicidal callers are becoming standard, though long-term funding for this critical work remains unclear.
The systems that will thrive are those that embrace data transparency, invest strategically in interoperable technology, coordinate across traditional silos, and recognize that caring for the caregivers isn't peripheral, it's central to the mission.
We left CrisisCon energized by the dedication and innovation we witnessed, and more committed than ever to supporting the field with technology that actually makes frontline work easier, not harder. The future of crisis care is being built right now, and there's never been a more important time to get it right.
