New Federal Funding Will Strengthen Suicide Care in Memphis
- Alliance Healthcare Services
- Aug 26
- 3 min read
Alliance Healthcare Services has been awarded federal funding to close the gap that opens after a mental health crisis.
If you or someone you love is in crisis right now, you do not have to wait for any of this. Call the Alliance 24-Hour Crisis Line at (901) 577-9400, or call or text 988.
Alliance Healthcare Services has been awarded a federal grant of $400,000 per year for up to five years for a total of $2,000,000 to strengthen how we care for adults at risk of suicide. The award comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and takes effect September 30, 2026.
The gap this is meant to close
Most people picture suicide prevention as the moment of crisis itself. The harder problem is what comes after.
Someone arrives at a crisis center on the worst day of their life. They get care. Then they walk out the door, and the days that follow are when people quietly disappear from the system.
Research behind the model Alliance is adopting found that 77% of people who die by suicide had contact with a health care provider in the year before their death, and 45% within the month before. Those were chances to intervene.
The missed appointment is where people are lost.
What is already available in Memphis
None of the following depends on the grant. These services are available today:
The Alliance 24-Hour Crisis Line, (901) 577-9400, answered around the clock
The Crisis Wellness Center on Broad Avenue, open 24/7 for adults in a mental health crisis
Walk-in access regardless of insurance or ability to pay
Outpatient therapy, psychiatry, and addiction recovery services across Shelby County
If you want to know what actually happens when you reach out, we wrote a separate guide on what to expect when you call for crisis help in Memphis.
Alliance clinicians completed more than 11,500 crisis assessments in fiscal year 2026, roughly 32 a day.
What the grant will build
The funding pays for a model called Zero Suicide. Rather than treating suicide risk as one clinician's responsibility, it makes it the whole system's responsibility.
Over the next five years, Alliance will build one standard pathway for adults at risk of suicide, beginning in outpatient clinics and carrying through crisis care:
Depression screening for every adult at outpatient visits, with clear rules for when a structured suicide risk assessment must follow
A written safety plan built with the client, including counseling on reducing access to lethal means
A phone call within 24 to 48 hours of discharge from crisis or inpatient care, and a follow-up appointment within one week
Warm handoffs between levels of care, at the point when risk is highest
Therapies designed specifically for suicide prevention, including dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide prevention
Training for everyone who meets a client, from clinicians to front-desk staff
A monthly review of results, tracking whether the pathway is followed and whether people stay connected to care
The 24-to-48-hour call and the one-week appointment are requirements of the federal program, not optional additions.
Why this matters here
Tennessee lost 1,279 people to suicide in 2023, a rate of 17.9 per 100,000 residents, 22% above the national rate. In Shelby County, the rate was 15.4 per 100,000.
Sources: Tennessee Department of Health, 2025 Suicide Prevention Annual Report and 2025 Shelby County Data Package.
We covered the fuller picture, including warning signs and the myths that get in the way, in our post on suicide prevention facts and statistics for Memphis and Tennessee.
Alliance is the only designated Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic in West Tennessee and operates a full crisis continuum. SAMHSA expects to make roughly 31 awards nationwide under this program.
Common questions
Is this available now? Not yet. The grant takes effect September 30, 2026, and the changes roll out over five years. The crisis line, the Crisis Wellness Center, and all current services are available today and are not affected.
Who does this serve? Adults receiving services through Alliance who are at risk of suicide. This particular grant funds adult services.
Do I need insurance? Alliance accepts TennCare, Medicare and most commercial insurance, and offers options for people who are uninsured. No one is turned away from crisis care based on ability to pay.
What if I need help right now? Call (901) 577-9400 or call or text 988. Both are answered 24 hours a day.
Getting help
Adults in Shelby County can reach Alliance at (901) 369-1410 to schedule an appointment, walk in 24/7 at 3200 Broad Ave, or learn more about our suicide prevention services and crisis continuum.
If you or someone you care about is in crisis, help is available right now. Call the Alliance 24-Hour Crisis Line at (901) 577-9400. You can also call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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