The Multnomah County Behavioral Health Call Center has been awarded accreditation from the American Association of Suicidology for the first time in its history, demonstrating its adherence to internationally recognized standards of care for crisis call centers.
This three-year accreditation validates the Behavioral Health Call Center’s dedication to the community and comes at a poignant time during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This September observance serves to raise awareness, promote hope and normalize help-seeking, all of which are core to the Call Center’s mission. While suicide affects millions of people, the Call Center stands as a critical resource, encouraging open conversations about mental health and connecting individuals to proven treatment and support.
To award accreditation, the Association of Suicidology conducts a rigorous assessment across 30 criteria and metrics in five key areas of operation including organizational structure, staff training and monitoring, crisis intervention services and delivery, community integration, and program evaluation. The accreditation highlights the Call Center’s commitment to excellence and identifies it as a benchmark for peer organizations.
The Association of Suicidology awarding committee noted in the Call Center’s official accreditation notification letter that “Multnomah County’s Behavioral Health Call Center demonstrates a genuine commitment to both staff and the individuals it serves, with leadership consistently described by staff as hardworking, responsive, and deeply caring.”
“This achievement is a direct result of the hard work and unwavering dedication of the Behavioral Health Call Center’s entire staff and leadership,” said Health Department Director Rachael Banks. “This accreditation not only assures the general public of the quality of these services but commits to community members that they will receive compassionate and culturally-relevant services when they reach out for support.”
“The Behavioral Health Call Center is a critical component of our County's public health infrastructure,” said Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. “Each year Multnomah County joins the nation in recognizing September as Suicide Prevention Month. The Call Center’s accreditation is a testament to our staff’s professionalism and commitment to providing compassionate, life-saving support to community members in need.”
The Call Center’s accreditation by the Association of Suicidology underscores the Call Center’s readiness to continue delivering high-quality service to the community, support and retain dedicated staff, and engage in ongoing self-evaluation and quality improvement in partnership with the Association. This milestone confirms that the public can trust the high standards of care provided by the Call Center’s call takers and services.
About the American Association of Suicidology: Founded in 1968, the American Association of Suicidology is the nation’s largest membership-based organization for suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. The Association of Suicidology promotes the study of suicidality and the development of effective prevention strategies, offering accreditation to crisis centers that meet its stringent standards of care.
For nearly 50 years, the Association of Suicidology has led the way in accrediting crisis service organizations both in the United States and internationally, and is proud to be the only accreditation program in the U.S. dedicated specifically to suicidology. The Association of Suicidology accreditation process recognizes exemplary crisis service organizations and supports others in refining their services to meet our high standards.
For more information on suicide prevention and awareness, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
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