title: RCW 71.24.887

text:
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the authority shall establish a behavioral health workforce pilot program and training support grants for community mental health providers including, but not limited to, clinical social workers, licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, clinical psychologists, and substance abuse treatment providers. The authority must implement these services in partnership with and through the regional accountable communities of health or the University of Washington behavioral health institute.
(1)(a) The intent of the pilot program is to provide incentive pay for individuals serving as clinical supervisors within community behavioral health agencies, state hospitals, and other facilities operated by the department of social and health services. The desired outcomes of the pilot program include increased internships and entry opportunities for new clinicians through recruitment and retention of supervisors. The authority must ensure the pilot program covers three sites serving primarily medicaid clients in both eastern and western Washington. One of the sites must specialize in the delivery of behavioral health services for medicaid enrolled children. Of the remaining two sites, one must offer substance use disorder treatment services.
(b) The authority must provide a report to the office of financial management and the appropriate committees of the legislature by September 30, 2023, on the outcomes of the pilot program. The report must include:
(i) A description of the mechanism for incentivizing supervisor pay and other strategies used at each of the sites;
(ii) The number of supervisors that received bonus pay at each site;
(iii) The number of students or prelicensure clinicians that received supervision at each site;
(iv) The number of supervision hours provided at each site;
(v) Initial reporting on the number of students or prelicensure clinicians who received supervision through the pilot programs that moved into a permanent position with the pilot program or another community behavioral health program in Washington state at the end of their supervision;
(vi) Identification of options for establishing enhancement of supervisor pay through managed care organization payments to behavioral health providers; and
(vii) Recommendations of individual site policy and practice implications for statewide implementation.
(2) The authority shall establish a grant program to mental health and substance use disorder providers that provides flexible funding for training and mentoring of clinicians serving children and youth. The authority must consult with stakeholders, including but not limited to behavioral health experts in services for children and youth, providers, and consumers, to develop guidelines for how the funding could be used, with a focus on evidence-based and promising practices, continuing education requirements, and quality monitoring infrastructure.
[ 2021 c 170 s 3.]
Notes:
Findings—Intent—2021 c 170: "The legislature finds that there is a compelling and urgent need for coordinated investments in the state's behavioral health workforce. The demand for a qualified behavioral health workforce continues to grow as the availability of services throughout the state does not meet the need. According to the workforce training and education coordinating board's "behavioral health workforce: Barriers and solutions report," Washington ranks 31 out of the 50 states when comparing prevalence of mental illness to access to care. In addition, behavioral health needs have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began and the need is expected to rise as economic and social hardships continue. Despite increased demand, the legislature finds that there continues to be difficulties in recruiting and retaining professionals who are adequately trained to meet behavioral health needs. Many of these professions require years of training, ranging from some postsecondary education to medical degrees. In addition, the legislature finds that there is significant variation in the geographic distribution of behavioral health providers across the state. Rural and underserved areas face disparities in access to care. High student loan debt loads, better pay, and lighter caseloads can drive behavioral health professionals into private practice or hospital-based settings rather than community-based settings which typically have a higher percentage of medicaid-funded services and higher caseloads.
The legislature finds that there are professions and areas within the behavioral health workforce that are most in need of state investment. The legislature intends to focus coordinated efforts and investments on these areas of greatest need including, but not limited to:
(1) Behavioral health apprenticeships;
(2) Children's mental health professionals;
(3) Peer counselors;
(4) Crisis hotline agents;
(5) Behavioral health residencies for professionals such as psychiatrists, advanced registered nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists;
(6) Substance use disorder professionals;
(7) Community mental health workers;
(8) Clinical social workers;
(9) Licensed mental health counselors;
(10) Licensed marriage and family therapists; and
(11) Clinical psychologists.
The legislature also recognizes existing programs that have helped recruit, retain, and grow the behavioral health workforce, such as the Washington health corps, which provides loan repayment to behavioral health professionals, and the Washington state opportunity scholarship, which utilizes a public-private match to fund scholarships for students pursing health fields. Therefore, the legislature intends to increase the behavioral health workforce by expanding on successful existing programs, establishing new ones, and by focusing the efforts of the workforce education investment act." [ 2021 c 170 s 1.]

catchline: Training support grants for community mental health providers—Behavioral health workforce pilot program.


doc_type: statute

jurisdiction: wa

title: RCW 71.24.890

text:
(1) Establishing the state designated 988 contact hubs and enhancing the crisis response system will require collaborative work between the department, the authority, and regional system partners within their respective roles. The department shall have primary responsibility for designating 988 contact hubs, and shall seek recommendations from the behavioral health administrative services organizations to determine which 988 contact hubs best meet regional needs. The authority shall have primary responsibility for developing, implementing, and facilitating coordination of the crisis response system and services to support the work of the designated 988 contact hubs, regional crisis lines, and other coordinated regional behavioral health crisis response system partners. In any instance in which one agency is identified as the lead, the expectation is that agency will communicate and collaborate with the other to ensure seamless, continuous, and effective service delivery within the statewide crisis response system.
(2) The department shall provide adequate funding for the state's crisis call centers to meet an expected increase in the use of the 988 contact hubs based on the implementation of the 988 crisis hotline. The funding level shall be established at a level anticipated to achieve an in-state call response rate of at least 90 percent by July 22, 2022. The funding level shall be determined by considering standards and cost per call predictions provided by the administrator of the national suicide prevention lifeline, call volume predictions, guidance on crisis call center performance metrics, and necessary technology upgrades. Contracts with the 988 contact hubs:
(a) May provide funding to support designated 988 contact hubs to enter into limited partnerships with the public safety answering point to increase the coordination and transfer of behavioral health calls received by certified public safety telecommunicators that are better addressed by clinic interventions provided by the 988 system. Tax revenue may be used to support partnerships. These partnerships with 988 and public safety may be expanded to include regional crisis lines administered by behavioral health administrative services organizations;
(b) Shall require that 988 contact hubs enter into data-sharing agreements, when appropriate, with the department, the authority, regional crisis lines, and applicable regional behavioral health administrative services organizations to provide reports and client level data regarding 988 contact hub calls, as allowed by and in compliance with existing federal and state law governing the sharing and use of protected health information. Data-sharing agreements with regional crisis lines must include real-time information sharing. All coordinated regional behavioral health crisis response system partners must share dispatch time, arrival time, and disposition for behavioral health calls referred for outreach by each region consistent with any regional protocols developed under RCW 71.24.432. The department and the authority shall establish requirements for 988 contact hubs to report data to regional behavioral health administrative services organizations for the purposes of maximizing medicaid reimbursement, as appropriate, and implementing this chapter and chapters 71.05 and 71.34 RCW. The behavioral health administrative services organization may use information received from the 988 contact hubs in administering crisis services for the assigned regional service area, contracting with a sufficient number of licensed or certified providers for crisis services, establishing and maintaining quality assurance processes, maintaining patient tracking, and developing and implementing strategies to coordinate care for individuals with a history of frequent crisis system utilization.
(3) The department shall adopt rules by January 1, 2025, to establish standards for designation of crisis call centers as designated 988 contact hubs. The department shall collaborate with the authority, other agencies, and coordinated regional behavioral health crisis response system partners to assure coordination and availability of services, and shall consider national guidelines for behavioral health crisis care as determined by the federal substance abuse and mental health services administration, national behavioral health accrediting bodies, and national behavioral health provider associations to the extent they are appropriate, and recommendations from behavioral health administrative services organizations and the crisis response improvement strategy committee created in RCW 71.24.892.
(4) The department shall designate 988 contact hubs considering the recommendations of behavioral health administrative services organizations by January 1, 2026. The designated 988 contact hubs shall provide connections to crisis intervention services, triage, care coordination, and referrals for individuals contacting the 988 contact hubs from any jurisdiction within Washington 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using the system platform developed under subsection (5) of this section. The department may not designate more than a total of four 988 contact hubs without legislative approval.
(a) To be designated as a 988 contact hub, the applicant must demonstrate to the department the ability to comply with the requirements of this section and to contract to provide 988 contact hub services. If a 988 contact hub fails to substantially comply with the contract, data-sharing requirements, or approved regional protocols developed under RCW 71.24.432, the department may revoke the designation of the 988 contact hub and, after consulting with the affected behavioral health administrative services organization, may designate a 988 contact hub recommended by a behavioral health administrative services organization which is able to meet necessary state and federal requirements.
(b) The contracts entered shall require designated 988 contact hubs to:
(i) Have an active agreement with the administrator of the national suicide prevention lifeline for participation within its network;
(ii) Meet the requirements for operational and clinical standards established by the department and based upon the national suicide prevention lifeline best practices guidelines and other recognized best practices;
(iii) Employ highly qualified, skilled, and trained clinical staff who have sufficient training and resources to provide empathy to callers in acute distress, de-escalate crises, assess behavioral health disorders and suicide risk, triage to system partners for callers that need additional clinical interventions, and provide case management and documentation. Call center staff shall be trained to make every effort to resolve cases in the least restrictive environment and without law enforcement involvement whenever possible. Call center staff shall coordinate with certified peer counselors or certified peer support specialists to provide follow-up and outreach to callers in distress as available. It is intended for transition planning to include a pathway for continued employment and skill advancement as needed for experienced crisis call center employees;
(iv) Train employees on agricultural community cultural competencies for suicide prevention, which may include sharing resources with callers that are specific to members from the agricultural community. The training must prepare staff to provide appropriate assessments, interventions, and resources to members of the agricultural community. Employees may make warm transfers and referrals to a crisis hotline that specializes in working with members from the agricultural community, provided that no person contacting 988 shall be transferred or referred to another service if they are currently in crisis and in need of emotional support;
(v) Prominently display 988 crisis hotline information on their websites and social media, including a description of what the caller should expect when contacting the crisis call center and a description of the various options available to the caller, including call lines specialized in the behavioral health needs of veterans, American Indian and Alaska Native persons, Spanish-speaking persons, and LGBTQ populations. The website may also include resources for programs and services related to suicide prevention for the agricultural community;
(vi) Collaborate with the authority, the national suicide prevention lifeline, and veterans crisis line networks to assure consistency of public messaging about the 988 crisis hotline;
(vii) Collaborate with coordinated regional behavioral health crisis response system partners within the 988 contact hub's regional service area to develop protocols under RCW 71.24.432, including protocols related to the dispatching of mobile rapid response crisis teams and community-based crisis teams endorsed under RCW 71.24.903;
(viii) Provide data and reports and participate in evaluations and related quality improvement activities, according to standards established by the department in collaboration with the authority; and
(ix) Enter into data-sharing agreements with the department, the authority, regional crisis lines, and applicable behavioral health administrative services organizations to provide reports and client level data regarding 988 contact hub calls, as allowed by and in compliance with existing federal and state law governing the sharing and use of protected health information, which shall include sharing real-time information with regional crisis lines. The department and the authority shall establish requirements that the designated 988 contact hubs report data to regional behavioral health administrative services organizations for the purposes of maximizing medicaid reimbursement, as appropriate, and implementing this chapter and chapters 71.05 and 71.34 RCW including, but not limited to, administering crisis services for the assigned regional service area, contracting with a sufficient number of licensed or certified providers for crisis services, establishing and maintaining quality assurance processes, maintaining patient tracking, and developing and implementing strategies to coordinate care for individuals with a history of frequent crisis system utilization.
(c) The department and the authority shall incorporate recommendations from the crisis response improvement strategy committee created under RCW 71.24.892 in its agreements with designated 988 contact hubs, as appropriate.
(5) The department and authority must coordinate to develop the technology and platforms necessary to manage and operate the behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention system. The department and the authority must include designated 988 contact hubs, regional crisis lines, and behavioral health administrative services organizations in the decision-making process for selecting any technology platforms that will be used to operate the system. No decisions made by the department or the authority shall interfere with the routing of the 988 contact hubs calls, texts, or chat as part of Washington's active agreement with the administrator of the national suicide prevention lifeline or 988 administrator that routes 988 contacts into Washington's system. The technologies developed must include:
(a) A new technologically advanced behavioral health and suicide prevention crisis call center system platform for use in 988 contact hubs designated by the department under subsection (4) of this section. This platform, which shall be implemented as soon as possible and fully funded by June 30, 2027, shall be developed by the department and must include the capacity to receive crisis assistance requests through phone calls, texts, chats, and other similar methods of communication that may be developed in the future that promote access to the behavioral health crisis system; and
(b) A behavioral health integrated client referral system capable of providing system coordination information to designated 988 contact hubs and the other entities involved in behavioral health care. This system shall be developed by the authority.
(6) In developing the new technologies under subsection (5) of this section, the department and the authority must coordinate to designate a primary technology system to provide each of the following:
(a) Access to real-time information relevant to the coordination of behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services, including:
(i) Real-time bed availability for all behavioral health bed types and recliner chairs, including but not limited to crisis stabilization services, 23-hour crisis relief centers, psychiatric inpatient, substance use disorder inpatient, withdrawal management, peer-run respite centers, and crisis respite services, inclusive of both voluntary and involuntary beds, for use by crisis response workers, first responders, health care providers, emergency departments, and individuals in crisis; and
(ii) Real-time information relevant to the coordination of behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services for a person, including the means to access:
(A) Information about any less restrictive alternative treatment orders or mental health advance directives related to the person; and
(B) Information necessary to enable the designated 988 contact hubs to actively collaborate with regional crisis lines, emergency departments, primary care providers and behavioral health providers within managed care organizations, behavioral health administrative services organizations, and other health care payers to establish a safety plan for the person in accordance with best practices and provide the next steps for the person's transition to follow-up noncrisis care. To establish information-sharing guidelines that fulfill the intent of this section the authority shall consider input from the confidential information compliance and coordination subcommittee established under RCW 71.24.892;
(b) The means to track the outcome of the 988 call to enable appropriate follow-up, cross-system coordination, and accountability, including as appropriate: (i) Any immediate services dispatched and reports generated from the encounter; (ii) the validation of a safety plan established for the caller in accordance with best practices; (iii) the next steps for the caller to follow in transition to noncrisis follow-up care, including a next-day appointment for callers experiencing urgent, symptomatic behavioral health care needs; and (iv) the means to verify and document whether the caller was successful in making the transition to appropriate noncrisis follow-up care indicated in the safety plan for the person, to be completed either by the care coordinator provided through the person's managed care organization, health plan, or behavioral health administrative services organization, or if such a care coordinator is not available or does not follow through, by the staff of the designated 988 contact hub;
(c) A means to facilitate actions to verify and document whether the person's transition to follow-up noncrisis care was completed and services offered, to be performed by a care coordinator provided through the person's managed care organization, health plan, or behavioral health administrative services organization, or if such a care coordinator is not available or does not follow through, by the staff of the designated 988 contact hub;
(d) The means to provide geographically, culturally, and linguistically appropriate services to persons who are part of high-risk populations or otherwise have need of specialized services or accommodations, and to document these services or accommodations; and
(e) When appropriate, consultation with tribal governments to ensure coordinated care in government-to-government relationships, and access to dedicated services to tribal members.
(7) The authority shall:
(a) Collaborate with county authorities and behavioral health administrative services organizations to develop procedures to dispatch behavioral health crisis services in coordination with designated 988 contact hubs to effectuate the intent of this section;
(b) Establish formal agreements with managed care organizations and behavioral health administrative services organizations by January 1, 2023, to provide for the services, capacities, and coordination necessary to effectuate the intent of this section, which shall include a requirement to arrange next-day appointments for persons contacting the 988 contact hub or a regional crisis line experiencing urgent, symptomatic behavioral health care needs with geographically, culturally, and linguistically appropriate primary care or behavioral health providers within the person's provider network, or, if uninsured, through the person's behavioral health administrative services organization;
(c) Create best practices guidelines by July 1, 2023, for deployment of appropriate and available crisis response services by behavioral health administrative services organizations in coordination with designated 988 contact hubs to assist 988 hotline callers to minimize nonessential reliance on emergency room services and the use of law enforcement, considering input from relevant stakeholders and recommendations made by the crisis response improvement strategy committee created under RCW 71.24.892;
(d) Develop procedures to allow appropriate information sharing and communication between and across crisis and emergency response systems for the purpose of real-time crisis care coordination including, but not limited to, deployment of crisis and outgoing services, follow-up care, and linked, flexible services specific to crisis response; and
(e) Establish guidelines to appropriately serve high-risk populations who request crisis services. The authority shall design these guidelines to promote behavioral health equity for all populations with attention to circumstances of race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and geographic location, and include components such as training requirements for call response workers, policies for transferring such callers to an appropriate specialized center or subnetwork within or external to the national suicide prevention lifeline network, and procedures for referring persons who access the 988 contact hubs to linguistically and culturally competent care.
(8) The department shall monitor trends in 988 crisis hotline caller data, as reported by designated 988 contact hubs under subsection (4)(b)(ix) of this section, and submit an annual report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature summarizing the data and trends beginning December 1, 2027.
(9) Subject to authorization by the national 988 administrator and the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, any Washington state subnetwork of the 988 crisis hotline dedicated to the crisis assistance needs of American Indian and Alaska Native persons shall offer services by text, chat, and other similar methods of communication to the same extent as does the general 988 crisis hotline. The department shall coordinate with the substance abuse and mental health services administration for the authorization.
[ 2025 c 424 s 980; 2025 c 360 s 19. Prior: 2024 c 368 s 4; 2024 c 364 s 1; prior: 2023 c 454 s 5; 2023 c 433 s 16; 2021 c 302 s 102.]
Notes:
Reviser's note: This section was amended by 2025 c 360 s 19 and by 2025 c 424 s 980, each without reference to the other. Both amendments are incorporated in the publication of this section under RCW 1.12.025(2). For rule of construction, see RCW 1.12.025(1).
Effective date—2025 c 424: See note following RCW 9.46.100.
Findings—Intent—2021 c 302: "(1) The legislature finds that:
(a) Nearly 6,000 Washington adults and children died by suicide in the last five years, according to the federal centers for disease control and prevention, tragically reflecting a state increase of 36 percent in the last 10 years.
(b) Suicide is now the single leading cause of death for Washington young people ages 10 through 24, with total deaths 22 percent higher than for vehicle crashes.
(c) Groups with suicide rates higher than the general population include veterans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, LGBTQ youth, and people living in rural counties across the state.
(d) More than one in five Washington residents are currently living with a behavioral health disorder.
(e) The COVID-19 pandemic has increased stressors and substance use among Washington residents.
(f) An improved crisis response system will reduce reliance on emergency room services and the use of law enforcement response to behavioral health crises and will stabilize individuals in the community whenever possible.
(g) To accomplish effective crisis response and suicide prevention, Washington state must continue its integrated approach to address mental health and substance use disorder in tandem under the umbrella of behavioral health disorders, consistently with chapter 71.24 RCW and the state's approach to integrated health care. This is particularly true in the domain of suicide prevention, because of the prevalence of substance use as both a risk factor and means for suicide.
(2) The legislature intends to:
(a) Establish crisis call center hubs and expand the crisis response system in a deliberate, phased approach that includes the involvement of partners from a range of perspectives to:
(i) Save lives by improving the quality of and access to behavioral health crisis services;
(ii) Further equity in addressing mental health and substance use treatment and assure a culturally and linguistically competent response to behavioral health crises;
(iii) Recognize that, historically, crisis response placed marginalized communities, including those experiencing behavioral health crises, at disproportionate risk of poor outcomes and criminal justice involvement;
(iv) Comply with the national suicide hotline designation act of 2020 and the federal communications commission's rules adopted July 16, 2020, to assure that all Washington residents receive a consistent and effective level of 988 suicide prevention and other behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services no matter where they live, work, or travel in the state; and
(v) Provide higher quality support for people experiencing behavioral health crises through investment in new technology to create a crisis call center hub system to triage calls and link individuals to follow-up care.
(b) Make additional investments to enhance the crisis response system, including the expansion of crisis teams, to be known as mobile rapid response crisis teams, and deployment of a wide array of crisis stabilization services, such as 23-hour crisis stabilization units based on the living room model, crisis stabilization centers, short-term respite facilities, peer-run respite centers, and same-day walk-in behavioral health services. The overall crisis system shall contain components that operate like hospital emergency departments that accept all walk-ins and ambulance, fire, and police drop-offs. Certified peer counselors as well as peers in other roles providing support must be incorporated within the crisis system and along the continuum of crisis care." [ 2021 c 302 s 101.]

license: public-domain-government-work

rule_set: Revised Code of Washington

catchline: National 988 system—Designated 988 contact hubs—Technology and platform development—Agency collaboration.

code: rcw

unit: section

court: Washington State Legislature


title: RCW 71.24.892

text:
(1) The crisis response improvement strategy committee is established for the purpose of providing advice in developing an integrated behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention system containing the elements described in this section. The work of the committee shall be received and reviewed by a steering committee, which shall in turn form subcommittees to provide the technical analysis and input needed to formulate system change recommendations.
(2)(a) Through January 1, 2025, the behavioral health institute at Harborview medical center shall facilitate and provide staff support to the steering committee and to the crisis response improvement strategy committee. The behavioral health institute may contract for the provision of these services.
(b) Beginning January 2, 2025, the authority shall facilitate and provide staff support to the steering committee and to the crisis response improvement strategy committee. The authority may contract for the provision of these services.
(3) The steering committee shall consist of the five members specified as serving on the steering committee in this subsection and one additional member who has been appointed to serve pursuant to the criteria in either (j), (k), (l), or (m) of this subsection. The steering committee shall select three cochairs from among its members to lead the crisis response improvement strategy committee. The crisis response improvement strategy committee shall consist of the following members, who shall be appointed or requested by the authority, unless otherwise noted:
(a) The director of the authority, or his or her designee, who shall also serve on the steering committee;
(b) The secretary of the department, or his or her designee, who shall also serve on the steering committee;
(c) A member representing the office of the governor, who shall also serve on the steering committee;
(d) The Washington state insurance commissioner, or his or her designee;
(e) Up to two members representing federally recognized tribes, one from eastern Washington and one from western Washington, who have expertise in behavioral health needs of their communities;
(f) One member from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate, one of whom shall also be designated to participate on the steering committee, to be appointed by the president of the senate;
(g) One member from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives, one of whom shall also be designated to participate on the steering committee, to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
(h) The director of the Washington state department of veterans affairs, or his or her designee;
(i) The state 911 coordinator, or his or her designee;
(j) A member with lived experience of a suicide attempt;
(k) A member with lived experience of a suicide loss;
(l) A member with experience of participation in the crisis system related to lived experience of a mental health disorder;
(m) A member with experience of participation in the crisis system related to lived experience with a substance use disorder;
(n) A member representing each crisis call center in Washington that is contracted with the national suicide prevention lifeline;
(o) Up to two members representing behavioral health administrative services organizations, one from an urban region and one from a rural region;
(p) A member representing the Washington council for behavioral health;
(q) A member representing the association of alcoholism and addiction programs of Washington state;
(r) A member representing the Washington state hospital association;
(s) A member representing the national alliance on mental illness Washington;
(t) A member representing the behavioral health interests of persons of color recommended by Sea Mar community health centers;
(u) A member representing the behavioral health interests of persons of color recommended by Asian counseling and referral service;
(v) A member representing law enforcement;
(w) A member representing a university-based suicide prevention center of excellence;
(x) A member representing an emergency medical services department with a CARES program;
(y) A member representing medicaid managed care organizations, as recommended by the association of Washington healthcare plans;
(z) A member representing commercial health insurance, as recommended by the association of Washington healthcare plans;
(aa) A member representing the Washington association of designated crisis responders;
(bb) A member representing the children and youth behavioral health work group;
(cc) A member representing a social justice organization addressing police accountability and the use of deadly force; and
(dd) A member representing an organization specializing in facilitating behavioral health services for LGBTQ populations.
(4) The crisis response improvement strategy committee shall assist the steering committee to identify potential barriers and make recommendations necessary to implement and effectively monitor the progress of the 988 crisis hotline in Washington and make recommendations for the statewide improvement of behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services.
(5) The steering committee must develop a comprehensive assessment of the behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services system by January 1, 2022, including an inventory of existing statewide and regional behavioral health crisis response, suicide prevention, and crisis stabilization services and resources, and taking into account capital projects which are planned and funded. The comprehensive assessment shall identify:
(a) Statewide and regional insufficiencies and gaps in behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services and resources needed to meet population needs;
(b) Quantifiable goals for the provision of statewide and regional behavioral health crisis services and targeted deployment of resources, which consider factors such as reported rates of involuntary commitment detentions, single-bed certifications, suicide attempts and deaths, substance use disorder-related overdoses, overdose or withdrawal-related deaths, and incarcerations due to a behavioral health incident;
(c) A process for establishing outcome measures, benchmarks, and improvement targets, for the crisis response system; and
(d) Potential funding sources to provide statewide and regional behavioral health crisis services and resources.
(6) The steering committee, taking into account the comprehensive assessment work under subsection (5) of this section as it becomes available, after discussion with the crisis response improvement strategy committee and hearing reports from the subcommittees, shall report on the following:
(a) A recommended vision for an integrated crisis network in Washington that includes, but is not limited to: An integrated 988 crisis hotline and designated 988 contact hubs; mobile rapid response crisis teams and community-based crisis teams endorsed under RCW 71.24.903; mobile crisis response units for youth, adult, and geriatric population; a range of crisis stabilization services; an integrated involuntary treatment system; access to peer-run services, including peer-run respite centers; adequate crisis respite services; and data resources;
(b) Recommendations to promote equity in services for individuals of diverse circumstances of culture, race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and for individuals in tribal, urban, and rural communities;
(c) Recommendations for a work plan with timelines to implement appropriate local responses to calls to the 988 crisis hotline within Washington in accordance with the time frames required by the national suicide hotline designation act of 2020;
(d) The necessary components of each of the new technologically advanced behavioral health crisis call center system platform and the new behavioral health integrated client referral system, as provided under RCW 71.24.890, for assigning and tracking response to behavioral health crisis calls and providing real-time bed and outpatient appointment availability to 988 operators, emergency departments, designated crisis responders, and other behavioral health crisis responders, which shall include but not be limited to:
(i) Identification of the components that designated 988 contact hub staff need to effectively coordinate crisis response services and find available beds and available primary care and behavioral health outpatient appointments;
(ii) Evaluation of existing bed tracking models currently utilized by other states and identifying the model most suitable to Washington's crisis behavioral health system;
(iii) Evaluation of whether bed tracking will improve access to all behavioral health bed types and other impacts and benefits; and
(iv) Exploration of how the bed tracking and outpatient appointment availability platform can facilitate more timely access to care and other impacts and benefits;
(e) The necessary systems and capabilities that licensed or certified behavioral health agencies, behavioral health providers, and any other relevant parties will require to report, maintain, and update inpatient and residential bed and outpatient service availability in real time to correspond with the crisis call center system platform or behavioral health integrated client referral system identified in RCW 71.24.890, as appropriate;
(f) A work plan to establish the capacity for the designated 988 contact hubs to integrate Spanish language interpreters and Spanish-speaking call center staff into their operations, and to ensure the availability of resources to meet the unique needs of persons in the agricultural community who are experiencing mental health stresses, which explicitly addresses concerns regarding confidentiality;
(g) A work plan with timelines to enhance and expand the availability of mobile rapid response crisis teams and community-based crisis teams endorsed under RCW 71.24.903 based in each region, including specialized teams as appropriate to respond to the unique needs of youth, including American Indian and Alaska Native youth and LGBTQ youth, and geriatric populations, including older adults of color and older adults with comorbid dementia;
(h) The identification of other personal and systemic behavioral health challenges which implementation of the 988 crisis hotline has the potential to address in addition to suicide response and behavioral health crises;
(i) The development of a plan for the statewide equitable distribution of crisis stabilization services, behavioral health beds, and peer-run respite services;
(j) Recommendations concerning how health plans, managed care organizations, and behavioral health administrative services organizations shall fulfill requirements to provide assignment of a care coordinator and to provide next-day appointments for enrollees who contact the behavioral health crisis system;
(k) Appropriate allocation of crisis system funding responsibilities among medicaid managed care organizations, commercial insurers, and behavioral health administrative services organizations;
(l) Recommendations for constituting a statewide behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention oversight board or similar structure for ongoing monitoring of the behavioral health crisis system and where this should be established; and
(m) Cost estimates for each of the components of the integrated behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention system.
(7) The steering committee shall consist only of members appointed to the steering committee under this section. The steering committee shall convene the committee, form subcommittees, assign tasks to the subcommittees, and establish a schedule of meetings and their agendas.
(8) The subcommittees of the crisis response improvement strategy committee shall focus on discrete topics. The subcommittees may include participants who are not members of the crisis response improvement strategy committee, as needed to provide professional expertise and community perspectives. Each subcommittee shall have at least one member representing the interests of stakeholders in a rural community, at least one member representing the interests of stakeholders in an urban community, and at least one member representing the interests of youth stakeholders. The steering committee shall form the following subcommittees:
(a) A Washington tribal 988 subcommittee, which shall examine and make recommendations with respect to the needs of tribes related to the 988 system, and which shall include representation from the American Indian health commission;
(b) A credentialing and training subcommittee, to recommend workforce needs and requirements necessary to implement chapter 302, Laws of 2021, including minimum education requirements such as whether it would be appropriate to allow designated 988 contact hubs to employ clinical staff without a bachelor's degree or master's degree based on the person's skills and life or work experience;
(c) A technology subcommittee, to examine issues and requirements related to the technology needed to implement chapter 302, Laws of 2021;
(d) A cross-system crisis response collaboration subcommittee, to examine and define the complementary roles and interactions between mobile rapid response crisis teams and community-based crisis teams endorsed under RCW 71.24.903, designated crisis responders, law enforcement, emergency medical services teams, 911 and 988 operators, public and private health plans, behavioral health crisis response agencies, nonbehavioral health crisis response agencies, and others needed to implement chapter 302, Laws of 2021;
(e) A confidential information compliance and coordination subcommittee, to examine issues relating to sharing and protection of health information needed to implement chapter 302, Laws of 2021;
(f) A 988 geolocation subcommittee, to examine privacy issues related to federal planning efforts to route 988 crisis hotline calls based on the person's location, rather than area code, including ways to implement the federal efforts in a manner that maintains public and clinical confidence in the 988 crisis hotline. The 988 geolocation subcommittee must include persons with lived experience with behavioral health conditions as well as representatives of crisis call centers, the behavioral health interests of persons of color, and behavioral health providers; and
(g) Any other subcommittee needed to facilitate the work of the committee, at the discretion of the steering committee.
(9) The proceedings of the crisis response improvement strategy committee must be open to the public and invite testimony from a broad range of perspectives. The committee shall seek input from tribes, veterans, the LGBTQ community, and communities of color to help discern how well the crisis response system is currently working and recommend ways to improve the crisis response system.
(10) Legislative members of the crisis response improvement strategy committee shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members are not entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses if they are elected officials or are participating on behalf of an employer, governmental entity, or other organization. Any reimbursement for other nonlegislative members is subject to chapter 43.03 RCW.
(11) The steering committee, with the advice of the crisis response improvement strategy committee, shall provide a progress report and the result of its comprehensive assessment under subsection (5) of this section to the governor and appropriate policy and fiscal committee of the legislature by January 1, 2022. The steering committee shall report the crisis response improvement strategy committee's further progress and the steering committee's recommendations related to designated 988 contact hubs to the governor and appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature by January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024. The steering committee shall provide its final report to the governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature by January 1, 2025.
(12) This section expires December 31, 2026.
[ 2024 c 364 s 2; 2023 c 454 s 6; 2021 c 302 s 103.]
Notes:
Effective date—2021 c 302 s 103: "Section 103 of this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately [May 13, 2021]." [ 2021 c 302 s 408.]
Findings—Intent—2021 c 302: See note following RCW 71.24.890.

catchline: National 988 system—Crisis response improvement strategy committee—Membership—Steering committee—Reports. (Expires December 31, 2026.)


title: RCW 71.24.894

text:
(1) The department and authority shall provide an annual report regarding the usage of the 988 crisis hotline, call outcomes, and the provision of crisis services inclusive of mobile rapid response crisis teams and crisis stabilization services. The report shall be submitted to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature each November beginning in 2023. The report shall include information on the fund deposits and expenditures of the account created in RCW 82.86.050.
(2) The department and authority shall coordinate with the department of revenue, and any other agency that is appropriated funding under the account created in RCW 82.86.050, to develop and submit information to the federal communications commission required for the completion of fee accountability reports pursuant to the national suicide hotline designation act of 2020.
(3) The joint legislative audit and review committee shall schedule an audit to begin after the full implementation of chapter 302, Laws of 2021, to provide transparency as to how funds from the statewide 988 behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention line account have been expended, and to determine whether funds used to provide acute behavioral health, crisis outreach, and stabilization services are being used to supplement services identified as baseline services in the comprehensive analysis provided under RCW 71.24.892, or to supplant baseline services. The committee shall provide a report by November 1, 2027, which includes recommendations as to the adequacy of the funding provided to accomplish the intent of the act and any other recommendations for alteration or improvement.
[ 2021 c 302 s 105.]
Notes:
Findings—Intent—2021 c 302: See note following RCW 71.24.890.

catchline: National 988 system—Department reporting—Audit.


title: RCW 71.24.896

text:
(1) When acting in their statutory capacities pursuant to chapter 302, Laws of 2021, the state, department, authority, state 911 coordination office, emergency management division, military department, any other state agency, and their officers, employees, and agents are deemed to be carrying out duties owed to the public in general and not to any individual person or class of persons separate and apart from the public. Nothing contained in chapter 302, Laws of 2021 may be construed to evidence a legislative intent that the duties to be performed by the state, department, authority, state 911 coordination office, emergency management division, military department, any other state agency, and their officers, employees, and agents, as required by chapter 302, Laws of 2021, are owed to any individual person or class of persons separate and apart from the public in general.
(2) Each designated 988 contact hub designated by the department under any contract or agreement pursuant to chapter 302, Laws of 2021 shall be deemed to be an independent contractor, separate and apart from the department and the state.
[ 2023 c 454 s 7; 2021 c 302 s 108.]
Notes:
Findings—Intent—2021 c 302: See note following RCW 71.24.890.

catchline: National 988 system—Duties owed to public—Independent contractors.


title: RCW 71.24.898

text:
For the purpose of development and implementation of technology and platforms by the department and the authority under RCW 71.24.890, the department and the authority shall create a sophisticated technical and operational plan. The plan shall not conflict with, nor delay, the department meeting and satisfying existing 988 federal requirements that are already underway and must be met by July 16, 2022, nor is it intended to delay the initial planning phase of the project, or the planning and deliverables tied to any grant award received and allotted by the department or the authority prior to April 1, 2021. To the extent that funds are appropriated for this specific purpose, the department and the authority must contract for a consultant to critically analyze the development and implementation technology and platforms and operational challenges to best position the solutions for success. Prior to initiation of a new information technology development, which does not include the initial planning phase of this project or any contracting needed to complete the initial planning phase, the department and authority shall submit the technical and operational plan to the governor, office of financial management, steering committee of the crisis response improvement strategy committee created under RCW 71.24.892, and appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature, which shall include the committees referenced in this section. The plan must be approved by Washington technology solutions, the director of the office of financial management, and the steering committee of the crisis response improvement strategy committee, which shall consider any feedback received from the senate ways and means committee chair, the house of representatives appropriations committee chair, the senate environment, energy and technology committee chair, the senate behavioral health subcommittee chair, and the house of representatives health care and wellness committee chair, before any funds are expended for the solutions, other than those funds needed to complete the initial planning phase. A draft technical and operational plan must be submitted no later than January 1, 2022, and a final plan by August 31, 2022.
The plan submitted must include, but not be limited to:
(1) Data management;
(2) Data security;
(3) Data flow;
(4) Data access and permissions;
(5) Protocols to ensure staff are following proper health information privacy procedures;
(6) Cybersecurity requirements and how to meet these;
(7) Service level agreements by vendor;
(8) Maintenance and operations costs;
(9) Identification of what existing software as a service products might be applicable, to include the:
(a) Vendor name;
(b) Vendor offerings to include product module and functionality detail and whether each represent add-ons that must be paid separately;
(c) Vendor pricing structure by year through implementation; and
(d) Vendor pricing structure by year post implementation;
(10) Integration limitations by system;
(11) Data analytic and performance metrics to be required by system;
(12) Liability;
(13) Which agency will host the electronic health record software as a service;
(14) Regulatory agency;
(15) The timeline by fiscal year from initiation to implementation for each solution in chapter 302, Laws of 2021;
(16) How to plan in a manner that ensures efficient use of state resources and maximizes federal financial participation; and
(17) A complete comprehensive business plan analysis.
[ 2024 c 54 s 60; 2021 c 302 s 109.]
Notes:
Findings—Intent—2021 c 302: See note following RCW 71.24.890.

catchline: National 988 system—Technical and operational plan.


title: RCW 71.24.899

text:
The department shall develop informational materials and a social media campaign related to the 988 crisis hotline, including call, text, and chat options, and other crisis hotline lines for veterans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and other populations. The informational materials must include appropriate information for persons seeking services at behavioral health clinics and medical clinics, as well as media audiences and students at K-12 schools and higher education institutions. The department shall make the informational materials available to behavioral health clinics, medical clinics, media, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and other relevant settings. The informational materials shall be made available to professionals during training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management under RCW 43.70.442. To tailor the messages of the informational materials and the social media campaign, the department must consult with tribes, the American Indian health commission of Washington state, the native and strong lifeline, the Washington state department of veterans affairs, representatives of agricultural communities, and persons with lived experience related to mental health issues, substance use disorder issues, a suicide attempt, or a suicide loss.
[ 2023 c 454 s 3.]

catchline: National 988 system—Informational materials—Social media campaign.


title: RCW 71.24.903

text:
(1) By April 1, 2024, the authority shall establish standards for issuing an endorsement to any mobile rapid response crisis team or community-based crisis team that meets the criteria under either subsection (2) or (3) of this section, as applicable. The endorsement is a voluntary credential that a mobile rapid response crisis team or community-based crisis team may obtain to signify that it maintains the capacity to respond to persons who are experiencing a significant behavioral health emergency requiring an urgent, in-person response. The attainment of an endorsement allows the mobile rapid response crisis team or community-based crisis team to become eligible for performance payments as provided in subsection (10) of this section.
(2) The authority's standards for issuing an endorsement to a mobile rapid response crisis team or a community-based crisis team must consider:
(a) Minimum staffing requirements to effectively respond in-person to individuals experiencing a significant behavioral health emergency. Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, the team must include appropriately credentialed and supervised staff employed by a licensed or certified behavioral health agency and may include other personnel from participating entities listed in subsection (3) of this section. The team shall include certified peer counselors or certified peer support specialists as a best practice to the extent practicable based on workforce availability. The team may include fire departments, emergency medical services, public health, medical facilities, nonprofit organizations, and city or county governments. The team may not include law enforcement personnel;
(b) Capabilities for transporting an individual experiencing a significant behavioral health emergency to a location providing appropriate level crisis stabilization services, as determined by regional transportation procedures, such as crisis receiving centers, crisis stabilization units, and triage facilities. The standards must include vehicle and equipment requirements, including minimum requirements for vehicles and equipment to be able to safely transport the individual, as well as communication equipment standards. The vehicle standards must allow for an ambulance or aid vehicle licensed under chapter 18.73 RCW to be deemed to meet the standards; and
(c) Standards for the initial and ongoing training of personnel and for providing clinical supervision to personnel.
(3) The authority must adjust the standards for issuing an endorsement to a community-based crisis team under subsection (2) of this section if the team is comprised solely of an emergency medical services agency, whether it is part of a fire service agency or a private entity, that is located in a rural county in eastern Washington with a population of less than 60,000 residents. Under the adjusted standards, until January 1, 2030, the authority shall exempt a team from the personnel standards under subsection (2)(a) of this section and issue an endorsement to a team if:
(a) The personnel assigned to the team have met training requirements established by the authority under subsection (2)(c) of this section, as those requirements apply to emergency medical service and fire service personnel, including completion of the three-hour training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management under RCW 43.70.442;
(b) The team operates under a memorandum of understanding with a licensed or certified behavioral health agency to provide direct, real-time consultation through a behavioral health provider employed by a licensed or certified behavioral health agency while the team is responding to a call. The consultation may be provided by telephone, through remote technologies, or, if circumstances allow, in person; and
(c) The team does not include law enforcement personnel.
(4) Prior to issuing an initial endorsement or renewing an endorsement, the authority shall conduct an on-site survey of the applicant's operation.
(5) An endorsement must be renewed every three years.
(6) The authority shall establish forms and procedures for issuing and renewing an endorsement.
(7) The authority shall establish procedures for the denial, suspension, or revocation of an endorsement.
(8)(a) The decision of a mobile rapid response crisis team or community-based crisis team to seek endorsement is voluntary and does not prohibit a nonendorsed team from participating in the crisis response system when (i) responding to individuals who are not experiencing a significant behavioral health emergency that requires an urgent in-person response or (ii) responding to individuals who are experiencing a significant behavioral health emergency that requires an urgent in-person response when there is not an endorsed team available.
(b) The decision of a mobile rapid response crisis team not to pursue an endorsement under this section does not affect its obligation to comply with any standards adopted by the authority with respect to mobile rapid response crisis teams.
(c) The decision of a mobile rapid response crisis team not to pursue an endorsement under this section does not affect its responsibilities and reimbursement for services as they may be defined in contracts with managed care organizations or behavioral health administrative services organizations.
(9) The costs associated with endorsement activities shall be supported with funding from the statewide 988 behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention line account established in RCW 82.86.050.
(10) The authority shall establish an endorsed mobile rapid response crisis team and community-based crisis team performance program with receipts from the statewide 988 behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention line account.
(a) Subject to funding provided for this specific purpose, the performance program shall:
(i) Issue establishment grants to support mobile rapid response crisis teams and community-based crisis teams seeking to meet the elements necessary to become endorsed under either subsection (2) or (3) of this section;
(ii) Issue performance payments in the form of an enhanced case rate to mobile rapid response crisis teams and community-based crisis teams that have received an endorsement from the authority under either subsection (2) or (3) of this section; and
(iii) Issue supplemental performance payments in the form of an enhanced case rate higher than that available in (a)(ii) of this subsection (10) to mobile rapid response crisis teams and community-based crisis teams that have received an endorsement from the authority under either subsection (2) or (3) of this section and demonstrate to the authority that for the previous three months they met the following response time and in route time standards:
(A) Between January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2026:
(I) Arrive to the individual's location within 30 minutes of being dispatched by the designated 988 contact hub, at least 80 percent of the time in urban areas;
(II) Arrive to the individual's location within 40 minutes of being dispatched by the designated 988 contact hub, at least 80 percent of the time in suburban areas; and
(III) Be in route within 15 minutes of being dispatched by the designated 988 contact hub, at least 80 percent of the time in rural areas; and
(B) On and after January 1, 2027:
(I) Arrive to the individual's location within 20 minutes of being dispatched by the designated 988 contact hub, at least 80 percent of the time in urban areas;
(II) Arrive to the individual's location within 30 minutes of being dispatched by the designated 988 contact hub, at least 80 percent of the time in suburban areas; and
(III) Be in route within 10 minutes of being dispatched by the designated 988 contact hub, at least 80 percent of the time in rural areas.
(b) The authority shall design the program in a manner that maximizes the state's ability to receive federal matching funds.
(11) The authority shall contract with the actuaries responsible for development of medicaid managed care rates to conduct an analysis and develop options for payment mechanisms and levels for rate enhancements under subsection (10) of this section. The authority shall consult with staff from the office of financial management and the fiscal committees of the legislature in conducting this analysis. The payment mechanisms must be developed to maximize leverage of allowable federal medicaid match. The analysis must clearly identify assumptions, include cost projections for the rate level options broken out by fund source, and summarize data used for the cost analysis. The cost projections must be based on Washington state specific utilization and cost data. The analysis must identify low, medium, and high ranges of projected costs associated for each option accounting for varying scenarios regarding the numbers of teams estimated to qualify for the enhanced case rates and supplemental performance payments. The analysis must identify costs for both medicaid clients, and for state-funded nonmedicaid clients paid through contracts with behavioral health administrative services organizations. The analysis must account for phasing in of the number of teams that meet endorsement criteria over time and project annual costs for a four-year period associated with each of the scenarios. The authority shall submit a report summarizing the analysis, payment mechanism options, enhanced performance payment and supplemental performance payment rate level options, and related cost estimates to the office of financial management and the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2023.
(12) The authority shall conduct a review of the endorsed community-based crisis teams established under subsection (3) of this section and report to the governor and the health policy committees of the legislature by December 1, 2028. The report shall provide information about the engagement of the community-based crisis teams receiving an endorsement under subsection (3) of this section and their ability to provide a timely and appropriate response to persons experiencing a behavioral health crisis and any recommended changes to the teams to better meet the needs of the community including personnel requirements, training standards, and behavioral health provider consultation.
[ 2025 c 360 s 20; 2023 c 454 s 9.]

catchline: Mobile rapid response crisis team endorsement.


title: RCW 71.24.905

text:
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the University of Washington shall, in consultation and collaboration with the co-responder outreach alliance and other stakeholders as appropriate in the field of co-response:
(a) Establish regular opportunities for police, fire, emergency medical services, peer counselors, and behavioral health personnel working in co-response to convene for activities such as training, exchanging information and best practices around the state and nationally, and providing the University of Washington with assistance with activities described in this section;
(b) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, administer a small budget to help defray costs for training and professional development, which may include expenses related to attending or hosting site visits with experienced co-response teams;
(c) Develop an assessment to be provided to the governor and legislature by June 30, 2023, describing and analyzing the following:
(i) Existing capacity and shortfalls across the state in co-response teams and the co-response workforce;
(ii) Current alignment of co-response teams with cities, counties, behavioral health administrative services organizations, and call centers; distribution among police, fire, and EMS-based co-response models; and desired alignment;
(iii) Current funding strategies for co-response teams and identification of federal funding opportunities;
(iv) Current data systems utilized and an assessment of their effectiveness for use by co-responders, program planners, and policymakers;
(v) Current training practices and identification of future state training practices;
(vi) Alignment with designated crisis responder activities;
(vii) Recommendations concerning best practices to prepare co-responders to achieve objectives and meet future state crisis system needs, including those of the 988 system;
(viii) Recommendations to align co-responder activities with efforts to reform ways in which persons experiencing a behavioral health crisis interact with the criminal justice system; and
(ix) Assessment of training and educational needs for current and future co-responder workforce;
(d) Beginning in calendar year 2023, begin development of model training curricula for individuals participating in co-response teams; and
(e) Beginning in calendar year 2023, host an annual statewide conference that draws state and national co-responders.
(2) Stakeholders in the field of co-response may include, but are not limited to, the Washington association of designated crisis responders; state associations representing police, fire, and emergency medical services personnel; the Washington council on behavioral health; the state 911 system; 988 crisis call centers; and the peer workforce alliance.
(3)(a) By January 1, 2026, the University of Washington school of social work, in consultation with the authority and the behavioral health administrative services organizations, shall establish a program to administer a crisis responder training academy resulting in a certification in best practices in crisis response in three behavioral health administrative services organizations with a significant co-response footprint. The curriculum must include: Safety and crisis de-escalation tactics, teamwork across the disciplines including peer support workers, culturally responsive crisis care, suicide intervention, substance use disorder engagement, overdose response, and an eight-hour session with clinical staff of designated 988 contact hubs, crisis relief centers, crisis call centers, and employees of 911 public safety answering points, explaining best coordination strategies. Best practices for regional protocol development must be included.
(b) By January 1, 2027, the crisis responder training academy shall be expanded to all behavioral health administrative services organizations and provide openings for 988 rapid response teams, co-response teams, mobile community response teams, and alternative response teams. The behavioral health administrative services organizations shall promote the training academy available to local crisis responder and co-response teams in their regions. The certification shall be optional and may not serve as an additional requirement for licensure for crisis responders or licensed human services professionals.
[ 2025 c 346 s 5; 2022 c 232 s 2.]
Notes:
Findings—2025 c 346: See note following RCW 71.24.025.
Finding—Purpose—2022 c 232: "The legislature finds that behavioral health co-response has experienced a surge in popularity in Washington state in the past five years. The legislature recognizes the importance of training for those involved in co-responder programs to promote high standards within programs and to enhance the skills of those already working in this field. The purpose of this act is to develop best practice recommendations and a model training curriculum relevant to first responders and behavioral health professionals working on co-response teams, to create ongoing learning opportunities for emerging and established co-response programs, and to develop the workforce to fill future co-responder hiring needs." [ 2022 c 232 s 1.]

catchline: Co-response services.


title: RCW 71.24.906

text:
(1) The authority and behavioral health administrative services organizations, in collaboration with the University of Washington, the Harborview behavioral health institute, the Washington council for behavioral health, and the statewide 988 coordinator, shall plan for regional collaboration among behavioral health providers and first responders working within the 988 crisis response and suicide prevention system, standardize practices and protocols, and develop a needs assessment for trainings. Under leadership by the authority and behavioral health administrative services organizations this work shall be divided as described in this section.
(2) The University of Washington, through the Harborview behavioral health institute, shall develop an assessment of training needs, a mapping of current and future funded crisis response providers, and a comprehensive review of all behavioral health training required in statute and in rule. The training needs assessment, mapping of crisis providers, and research on existing training requirements must be completed by June 30, 2024. The Harborview behavioral health institute may contract for all or any portion of this work. The Harborview behavioral health institute shall consult with, at a minimum, the following key stakeholders:
(a) At least two representatives from the behavioral health administrative services organizations, one from each side of the Cascade crest;
(b) At least three crisis services providers identified by the Washington council for behavioral health, one from each side of the Cascade crest, and one dedicated to serving communities of color;
(c) A representative of crisis call centers;
(d) The authority and the department;
(e) At least two members who are persons with lived experience related to mental health issues, substance use disorder issues, a suicide attempt, or a suicide loss;
(f) A representative of a statewide organization of field experts consisting of first responders, behavioral health professionals, and project managers working in co-response programs in Washington; and
(g) Advocates for and organizations representing persons with developmental disabilities, veterans, American Indians and Alaska Native populations, LGBTQ populations, and persons connected with the agricultural community, as deemed appropriate by each stakeholder group, including persons with lived experience related to mental health issues, substance use disorder issues, a suicide attempt, or a suicide loss.
(3) The authority and behavioral health services organizations, in collaboration with the stakeholders specified in subsection (1) of this section, shall develop recommendations for establishing crisis workforce and resilience training collaboratives that would offer voluntary regional trainings for behavioral health providers, peers, first responders, co-responders, 988 contact center personnel, designated 988 contact hub personnel, 911 operators, regional leaders, and interested members of the public, specific to a geographic region and the population they serve as informed by the needs assessment. The collaboratives shall encourage the development of foundational and advanced skills and practices in crisis response as well as foster regional collaboration. The recommendations must:
(a) Include strategies for better coordination and integration of 988-specific training into the broader scope of behavioral health trainings that are already required;
(b) Identify effective trainings to explain how the 988 system works with the 911 emergency response system, trauma-informed care, secondary trauma, suicide protocols and practices for crisis responders, supervisory best practices for first responders, lethal means safety, violence assessments, cultural competency, and essential care for serving individuals with serious mental illness, substance use disorder, or co-occurring disorders;
(c) Identify best practice approaches to working with veterans, intellectually and developmentally disabled populations, youth, LGBTQ populations, communities of color, agricultural communities, and American Indian and Alaska Native populations;
(d) Identify ways to provide the designated 988 contact hubs and other crisis providers with training that is tailored to the agricultural community using training that is agriculture-specific with information relating to the stressors unique to persons connected with the agricultural community such as weather conditions, financial obligations, market conditions, and other relevant issues. When developing the recommendations, consideration must be given to national experts, such as the AgriSafe network and other entities;
(e) Identify ways to promote a better informed and more involved community on topics related to the behavioral health crisis system by increasing public access to and participation in trainings on the topics identified in (b) and (c) of this subsection (3), including through remote audiovisual technology;
(f) Establish suggested protocols for ways to sustain the collaboratives as new mobile rapid response crisis teams and community-based crisis teams endorsed under RCW 71.24.903, co-responder teams, and crisis facilities are funded and operationalized;
(g) Discuss funding needs to sustain the collaboratives and support participation in attending the trainings; and
(h) Offer a potential timeline for implementing the collaboratives on a region-by-region basis.
(4) The authority shall submit a report on the items developed in this section to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 31, 2024.
[ 2023 c 454 s 11.]

catchline: National 988 system—Needs assessment—Recommendations—Report.


title: RCW 71.24.907

text:
(1) No act or omission related to the dispatching decisions of any crisis call center staff or designated 988 contact hub staff with endorsed mobile rapid response crisis team and community-based crisis team dispatching responsibilities done or omitted in good faith within the scope of the individual's employment responsibilities with the crisis call center or designated 988 contact hub and in accordance with dispatching procedures adopted both by the behavioral health administrative services organization and the crisis call center or the designated 988 contact hub and approved by the authority shall impose liability upon:
(a) The clinical staff of the crisis call center or designated 988 contact hub or their clinical supervisors;
(b) The crisis call center or designated 988 contact hub or its officers, staff, or employees;
(c) Any member of a mobile rapid response crisis team or community-based crisis team endorsed under RCW 71.24.903;
(d) The certified public safety telecommunicator or the certified public safety telecommunicator's supervisor; or
(e) The public safety answering point or its officers, staff, or employees.
(2) No act or omission in the provision of crisis stabilization services, professional on-site community-based intervention, outreach, de-escalation, stabilization, resource connection, or follow-up support, and delivered under the clinical supervision of a mental health professional or an approved medical program director or their delegate, to a person who is experiencing a behavioral health crisis, and which is done or omitted in good faith within the scope of the individual's employment responsibilities, shall impose liability upon:
(a) Any staff of an endorsed or nonendorsed mobile rapid response crisis team or community-based crisis team, including teams operated by tribes, or staff of a crisis stabilization unit or a 23-hour crisis relief center, including facilities operated by tribes;
(b) Any officer of a public, private, or tribal agency, the superintendent, any professional person in charge or their professional designee, or any attending staff of any such agency; or
(c) Any federal, tribal, state, county, city, other local governmental unit, or contracted behavioral health agency, or employees of such units or agencies.
(3) This section shall apply to any act or omission by any person or entity listed in subsection (2) of this section involved in the transport of patients to behavioral health services, facilities providing crisis stabilization services, or other needed crisis services.
(4) This section shall not apply to any act or omission which constitutes either gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct.
[ 2024 c 370 s 1; 2023 c 454 s 13.]

catchline: National 988 system—Limitation of liability.


title: RCW 71.24.908

text:
(1) The authority must develop and implement a data integration platform by June 30, 2025, to support recovery navigator programs, law enforcement assisted diversion programs, arrest and jail alternative programs, and similar diversion efforts. The data integration platform shall:
(a) Serve as a statewide common database available for tracking diversion efforts across the state;
(b) Serve as a data collection and management tool for practitioners, allowing practitioners to input data and information relating to the utilization and outcomes of pretrial diversions, including whether such diversions were terminated, were successfully completed and resulted in dismissal, or are still ongoing;
(c) Assist in standardizing definitions and practices; and
(d) Track pretrial diversion participants by race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression or identity, disability status, and age.
(2) If possible, the authority must leverage and interact with existing platforms already in use in efforts funded by the authority. The authority must establish a quality assurance process for behavioral health administrative services organizations and employ data validation for fields in the data collection workbook. The authority must engage and consult with the law enforcement assisted diversion national support bureau on data integration approaches, platforms, quality assurance protocols, and validation practices.
(3) Information submitted to the data integration platform is exempt from public disclosure requirements under chapter 42.56 RCW.
[ 2023 sp.s. c 1 s 22.]

catchline: Data integration platform to support diversion efforts—Development and implementation—Exempt from public disclosure.


title: RCW 71.24.909

text:
(1) The authority shall contract with the Washington state institute for public policy to conduct a study of the long-term effectiveness of the recovery navigator programs under RCW 71.24.115 and law enforcement assisted diversion programs under RCW 71.24.589 implemented in Washington state, with reports due by June 30, 2028, June 30, 2033, and June 30, 2038, and an assessment as described under subsection (2) of this section. The Washington state institute for public policy shall collaborate with the authority and the substance use recovery services advisory committee under RCW 71.24.546 on the topic of data collection and to determine the parameters of the report, which shall include:
(a) Recidivism rates for recovery navigator and law enforcement assisted diversion program participants, including a comparison between individuals who did and did not use the pretrial diversion program under RCW 69.50.4017, and outcomes for these individuals;
(b) Trends or disparities in utilization of the recovery navigator and LEAD programs and outcomes based on race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression or identity, disability status, age, and other appropriate characteristics; and
(c) Recommendations, if any, for modification and improvement of the recovery navigator program or law enforcement assisted diversion programs.
(2)(a) The Washington state institute for public policy shall, in consultation with the authority and other key stakeholders, conduct a descriptive assessment of the current status of statewide recovery navigator programs and the degree to which the implementation of these programs reflects fidelity to the core principles of the law enforcement assisted diversion program as established by the law enforcement assisted diversion national support bureau in its toolkit as it existed on July 1, 2023, which shall include:
(i) The results of the law enforcement assisted diversion standards fidelity index analysis, conducted by an independent research scientist with expertise in law enforcement assisted diversion evaluation, including findings with respect to each standard assessed, for each recovery navigator program, in each behavioral health administrative services organization region;
(ii) Reports on utilization of technical support from the law enforcement assisted diversion national support bureau by recovery navigator program contractors, the authority, and behavioral health administrative services organizations; and
(iii) Barriers to achieving fidelity to core principles.
(b) The report shall also describe law enforcement assisted diversion programs in Washington state that are not affiliated with recovery navigator programs.
(c) The report may include recommendations for changes to recovery navigator programs reported by recovery navigator program administrators, stakeholders, or participants.
(d) The authority, behavioral health administrative services organizations, and other recovery navigator program administrators shall cooperate with the institute in making this assessment.
(e) The institute shall submit this assessment to the governor and relevant committees of the legislature by June 30, 2024.
(3) The authority shall cooperate with the Washington state institute for public policy to provide data for the assessment and reports under this section.
(4) The authority must establish an expedited preapproval process by August 1, 2023, that allows requests for the use of data to be forwarded to the Washington state institutional review board without delay when the request is made by the Washington state institute for public policy for the purpose of completing a study that has been directed by the legislature.
[ 2023 sp.s. c 1 s 24.]

catchline: Washington state institute for public policy study on recovery navigator programs and law enforcement assisted diversion programs.


title: RCW 71.24.910

text:
If the insurance commissioner reports to the department that he or she has cause to believe that a provider licensed under this chapter has engaged in a pattern of violations of RCW 48.49.020 or 48.49.030 or has violated RCW 48.43.732, and the report is substantiated after investigation, the department may levy a fine upon the provider in an amount not to exceed $1,000 per violation and take other formal or informal disciplinary action as permitted under the authority of the department.
[ 2025 c 389 s 10; 2022 c 263 s 22.]
Notes:
Finding—Intent—2025 c 389: See note following RCW 48.43.732.
Effective date—2022 c 263: See note following RCW 43.371.100.

catchline: Balance billing violations—Discipline.


title: RCW 71.24.911

text:
Subject to funding provided for this specific purpose, the authority must collaborate with the department and the department of social and health services to expand the Washington recovery helpline and the recovery readiness asset tool to provide a dynamically updated statewide behavioral health treatment and recovery support services mapping tool that includes a robust resource database for those seeking services and a referral system to be incorporated within the locator tool to help facilitate the connection between an individual and a facility that is currently accepting new referrals. The tool must include dual interface capability, one for public access and one for internal use and management.
[ 2023 sp.s. c 1 s 28.]

catchline: Statewide behavioral health treatment and recovery support services mapping tool.


title: RCW 71.24.912

text:
(1) The authority shall convene a work group to recommend changes to systems, policies, and processes related to intake, screening, and assessment for substance use disorder services, with the goal to broaden the workforce capable of administering substance use disorder assessments and to make the assessment process as brief as possible, including only what is necessary to manage utilization and initiate care. The assessment shall be low barrier, person-centered, and amenable to administration in diverse health care settings and by a range of health care professionals. The assessment shall consider the person's self-identified needs and preferences when evaluating direction of treatment and may include different components based on the setting, context, and past experience with the client.
(2) The work group must include care providers, payors, people who use drugs, individuals in recovery from substance use disorder, and other individuals recommended by the authority. The work group shall present its recommendations to the governor and appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2024.
[ 2023 sp.s. c 1 s 36.]

catchline: Work group—Systems, policies, and processes related to intake, screening, and assessment for substance use disorders.


title: RCW 71.24.913

text:
(1) The authority is responsible for providing regular assessments of the prevalence of substance use disorders and interactions of persons with substance use disorder with service providers, nonprofit service providers, first responders, health care facilities, and law enforcement agencies. Beginning in 2026, the annual report required in subsection (3)(a) of this section shall include a comprehensive assessment of the information described in this subsection for the prior calendar year.
(2)(a) The authority shall identify the types and sources of data necessary to implement the appropriate means and methods of gathering data to provide the information required in subsection (1) of this section.
(b) The authority must provide a preliminary inventory report to the governor and the legislature by December 1, 2023, and a final inventory report by December 1, 2024. The reports must:
(i) Identify existing types and sources of data available to the authority to provide the information required in subsection (1) of this section and what data are necessary but currently unavailable to the authority;
(ii) Include recommendations for new data connections, new data-sharing authority, and sources of data that are necessary to provide the information required in subsection (1) of this section; and
(iii) Include recommendations, including any necessary legislation, regarding the development of reporting mechanisms between the authority and service providers, nonprofit service providers, health care facilities, law enforcement agencies, and other state agencies to gather the information required in subsection (1) of this section.
(3)(a) Beginning July 1, 2024, and each July 1st thereafter until July 1, 2028, the authority shall provide an implementation report to the governor and the legislature regarding recovery residences, recovery navigator programs, the health engagement pilot programs, and the law enforcement assisted diversion grants program. The report shall include:
(i) The number of contracts awarded to law enforcement assisted diversion programs, including the amount awarded in the contract, and the names and service locations of contract recipients;
(ii) The location of recovery residences, recovery navigator programs, health engagement hub pilot programs, and law enforcement assisted diversion programs;
(iii) The scope and nature of services provided by recovery navigator programs, health engagement hub pilot programs, and law enforcement assisted diversion programs;
(iv) The number of individuals served by recovery residences, recovery navigator programs, health engagement hub pilot programs, and law enforcement assisted diversion programs;
(v) If known, demographic data concerning the utilization of these services by overburdened and underrepresented communities; and
(vi) The number of grants awarded to providers of employment, education, training, certification, and other supportive programs, including the amount awarded in each grant and the names of provider grant recipients, as provided for in RCW 71.24.113.
(b) The data obtained by the authority under this section shall be integrated with the Washington state institute for public policy report under RCW 71.24.909.
(4) Beginning in the July 1, 2027, report in subsection (3)(a) of this section, the authority shall provide:
(a) The results and effectiveness of the authority's collaboration with the department of health and the department of social and health services to expand the Washington recovery helpline and recovery readiness asset tool to provide a dynamically updated statewide behavioral health treatment and recovery support services mapping tool, including the results and effectiveness with respect to overburdened and underrepresented communities, in accordance with RCW 71.24.911;
(b) The results and effectiveness of the authority's development and implementation of a data integration platform to support recovery navigator programs and to serve as a common database available for diversion efforts across the state, including the results and effectiveness with respect to overburdened and underrepresented communities, as provided in RCW 71.24.908;
(c) The effectiveness and outcomes of training developed and provided by the authority in consultation with the department of children, youth, and families, as provided in RCW 71.24.522; and
(d) The effectiveness and outcomes of training developed by the authority for housing providers, as provided in RCW 71.24.657(4).
[ 2023 sp.s. c 1 s 38.]

catchline: Substance use disorders—Comprehensive assessments, reports.


title: RCW 71.24.915

text:
Behavioral health administrative services organizations in their role as regional behavioral health system leaders, in partnership with the authority, shall convene an annual crisis continuum of care forum, led by the behavioral health administrative services organizations, with participation from partners serving regional service areas, including managed care organizations, behavioral health providers, mobile rapid response crisis teams, 988 call center hubs, counties, tribes, and other regional partners, to identify and develop collaborative regional-based solutions which may include capital infrastructure requests, local capacity building, or community investments including joint funding opportunities, innovative and scalable pilot initiatives, or other funder and stakeholder partnerships. The authority shall provide funding for this annual crisis continuum of care forum. Behavioral health administrative services organizations and the authority shall jointly submit recommendations, as appropriate, supporting these efforts to the joint legislative executive committee on behavioral health.
[ 2023 c 454 s 12.]

catchline: Crisis continuum of care forum.