About
Vibrant Emotional Health is a New York City-based nonprofit that helps people achieve mental and emotional well-being with dignity and respect. Operating for more than 55 years, the organization connects individuals and families with emotional support and care through technology-enabled services, community programs, and advocacy — and is best known nationally as the administrator of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Mission
Vibrant's mission is to help all people achieve mental and emotional well-being through groundbreaking solutions that deliver high-quality support when, where, and how they need it. Its vision is a world where all people can achieve mental and emotional well-being with dignity and respect.
What they do
- Administers the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in partnership with the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Vibrant was awarded a five-year federal grant in FY22 to administer the Lifeline, building its technology infrastructure, providing clinical training and standards for counselors, making subawards to network crisis centers, and evaluating effectiveness.
- Operates call, text, chat and online emotional-support services, including accessibility services for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
- Runs community wellness programs and Family and Youth Peer Support Centers in New York.
- Provides disaster emotional-support services.
- Delivers partnership solutions and workforce programs, and advances mental health policy and advocacy.
History
The Lifeline that Vibrant administers launched on January 1, 2005 as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, with 109 crisis centers answering roughly 20,000 calls in its first year. The network grew to 170 crisis centers handling 2.2 million calls annually by 2018, and in July 2022 the service transitioned to the three-digit 988 number.
Scale and impact
Since the July 2022 launch of 988, the Lifeline has answered more than 13 million calls, texts and chats. Beyond the Lifeline, Vibrant serves thousands of people daily through its community programs, disaster services and support centers.
Financials
Vibrant Emotional Health is the operating name of The Mental Health Association of New York City Inc. (EIN 13-2637308), a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS since 1970. According to its Form 990 data on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, the organization reported total revenue of $347.6 million and total expenses of $359.0 million for the fiscal year ending June 2025, with total assets of $171.8 million — a scale driven largely by its role administering the federally funded 988 Lifeline.
Governance
Vibrant is led by Chief Executive Officer Cara A. McNulty, DPA, with an executive team that includes Chief Operating Officer Alison Lewis, Chief Financial Officer David Greenberg, Chief Program Officer Brenda Tong and an Interim Chief 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Officer, Wendy Martinez Farmer. The Board of Directors is chaired by Jennifer Ashley, Ph.D.