07/16/2026
NAMI Ask the Expert Presents
Four Years of 988
Thursday, July 30, 2026 | 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. ET
The launch of the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline marked a major milestone in transforming the nation's response to mental health, substance use, and su***de crises. Four years later, communities across the country have made meaningful progress in expanding crisis services and strengthening connections to care, while continuing to address important challenges in access, funding, and implementation.
In this Ask the Expert webinar, psychiatrist and national crisis care leader Dr. Margie Balfour will review what has changed since the launch of 988, including growth in call, text, and chat services; expansion of mobile crisis teams; and development of crisis stabilization programs as alternatives to emergency departments and jails. Participants will learn how communities are working to create coordinated crisis systems that connect people to the right level of care while reducing unnecessary law enforcement involvement, emergency department boarding, and hospitalization.
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Our Guest Expert
Margie Balfour, MD PhD
Dr. Margie Balfour is a psychiatrist and nationally recognized leader in behavioral health crisis care. She is the founder of MultiPass Consulting and serves as Executive Policy Advisor at Connections Health Solutions, where she helped transform Tucson’s Crisis Response Center into a nationally recognized model.
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Our Moderator
Dr. Christine Crawford
This webinar also marks an exciting new chapter for the NAMI Ask the Expert series as Dr. Christine Crawford hosts her first session as NAMI's Chief Medical Officer following the retirement of Dr. Ken Duckworth. Building on the strong foundation Dr. Ken established, Dr. Crawford is excited to continue bringing practical, conversation-driven programs to the NAMI community that center the needs of individuals and families. Under her leadership, the series will place even greater emphasis on audience-informed topics, lived experience, interactive discussion, and actionable resources that help participants apply what they've learned long after the webinar ends.
