ON 988 DAY, MATSUI AND SACRAMENTO CRISIS CARE LEADERS CALL FOR PASSAGE OF BIPARTISAN 988 IMPLEMENTATION ACT

SACRAMENTO, CA - Today, on 988 Day, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) brought together Sacramento behavioral health leaders and crisis response professionals at the future WellSpace Health Community Wellness Campus to highlight her newly introduced bipartisan legislation, the 988 Implementation Act, which underscores the need to strengthen crisis care for families in Sacramento and communities across the country.

"As we continue to fight the mental health crisis in America, we need to invest in what works. 988 works," said Congresswoman Matsui. "WellSpace answers the phone when someone has nowhere else to turn. Leaders, providers, and advocates have built something here that delivers, and we need to ensure they have the resources they deserve. That's my job. To take what's working here. And make sure Washington pays attention. When I introduce legislation, I start with Sacramento."

Congresswoman Matsui was joined by Dr. Jonathan Porteus, CEO of WellSpace Health, Dr. Le Ondra Clark Harvey, CEO of the California Behavioral Health Association, which represents behavioral health providers, including 988 call centers, across California, and Devyn Leslie, Lead Crisis Line Specialist at WellSpace Health to discuss what happens when a Sacramento resident reaches out for help during a mental health or substance use crisis and how Congress can help communities provide the care they need beyond the initial call.

WellSpace Health operates 988 for the Sacramento region and across Northern California, providing confidential crisis support by phone, text, and chat 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its broader crisis system also connects residents with in-person behavioral health services and short-term crisis care.

"When someone is suicidal or experiencing another mental health crisis, help should be as easy to reach as possible and seamlessly integrated in a continuum of services," said Dr. Jonathan Porteus. "Every connection is an opportunity to provide immediate support to ensure people know they don't have to navigate a crisis alone. We're thankful Congresswoman Matsui is prioritizing 988 funding now and for the future."

"988 cannot simply be a number we ask people to call. It must be the front door to a functioning system of care," said Dr. Le Ondra Clark Harvey. "When someone reaches out during what may be the most vulnerable moment of their life, what happens next is critical. Congresswoman Matsui's 988 Implementation Act recognizes that we need the full continuum: someone to call, someone to come, and somewhere to go. CBHA's diverse, community-based providers see every day why sustained investment in 988 call centers, mobile crisis response, workforce, and stabilization services is essential. We have made tremendous progress since the launch of 988, but launching the number was never the finish line. We must build a crisis system with the capacity to answer, respond, stabilize, and connect every person to the care they need."

"Our role is to meet people in that moment with compassion and listen without judgement," saidDevyn Leslie. "We are here to help them find a path forward, and sometimes what a person needs to hear most is that someone is there who is ready to help and listen. 988 makes this possible every hour, everyday."

Today's event was held at the future WellSpace Health Wellness Campus on Stockton Boulevard, where Matsui joined WellSpace and community leaders for the project's groundbreaking earlier this year. The campus represents the kind of community-based approach the 988 Implementation Act seeks to expand, bringing behavioral health and other health services together so Sacramento residents can receive appropriate care closer to home.

Since the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline launched in 2022, it has received more than 26 million calls, texts, chats, and ASL videophone contacts from people seeking help. Congresswoman Matsui's bipartisan legislation would build on that progress by giving states and communities additional resources to strengthen the services available when someone needs more than support over the phone.

The 988 Implementation Act is supported by more than 35 national organizations representing mental health advocates, health professionals, state and local officials, civil rights advocates, veterans, and others.

More information about the bill can be found HERE.

A summary of the legislation can be found HERE.

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