ABOUT US
Kids Mental Health WA’s Youth Regional Behavioral Health Navigator Teams
The Health Care Authority (HCA) has partnered with Kids’ Mental Health Pierce County and Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) to stand up 10 KMHWA regional teams to serve all Kindergarten through 12th grade youth with behavioral health needs, regardless of insurance. The teams focus on improved collaborative communication, service connection processes, and the facilitation of Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT)- all designed to improve access to and the coordination of services. Requests to support young people needing intensive services will be prioritized by the KMHWA teams.”
Leveraging Partnership to Transform Change
With an emergency proclamation from the governor, the current mental and behavioral health emergency among Washington’s children and youth was recognized.
Behavioral health crises come in many forms, and most do not fit neatly into a categorical service box.
- No single entity or system owns full responsibility for crises, and a single entity or system is not, on its own, sufficiently leveraged to address the multi-factored complexities necessary for a healthy system.
- Given the multifactorial determinants of psychiatric boarding in the ED, potential solutions will require a variety of hospital strategies, external community strategies, ideally in collaboration with one another. Kids Mental Health Washington partners across the state are streamlining and coordinating youth behavioral health resources.
Together, we are building an access portal for individuals needing support by:
- Centralizing where and how to access local resources.
- Facilitating community solutions and referrals for complex behavioral needs by convening multi system disciplinary teams
- Creating and supporting steering committees, action committees, and community agreements to coordinate events, partners, and assets
WHO WE ARE
Developmental Disabilities Community Services
Developmental Disabilities Community Services (formerly Developmental Disabilities Administration) is transforming lives by providing support and fostering partnerships that empower people to live the lives they want.
Washington State Health Care Authority
The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) is committed to whole-person care, integrating physical health and behavioral health services for better results and healthier residents.
Kids’ Mental Health Pierce County
Kids’ Mental Health – Pierce County is dedicated to developing a coordinated, responsive behavioral health system that serves the needs of children, youth, and families at the right time, in the best place, with the best outcome for every family. KMHPC coordinates with initiatives focused on young children to create a continuum of behavioral health services starting at birth
Webinars
Youth Regional Behavioral Health Navigation Program:
Linking Arms to Support the Needs of Kids and Families Across WA
The Health Care Authority (HCA) is partnering with Kids’ Mental Health Pierce County (KMHPC) and Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) to stand up Youth Regional Behavioral Health Navigation teams to focus on improved collaborative communication, service connection processes, and the deployment of Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT), all of which are designed to improve access to and the coordination of services for children and youth experiencing behavioral health challenges. Requests for support for young people needing intensive services will be prioritized by the Navigation teams. Join us for a collaborative conversation about this new resource and how we are bringing the community into the continuum of care.
