Setting the behavioral health care course in 2026
Our latest policy brief spotlights legislative changes that will strengthen the crisis-care continuum for people with behavioral health issues and increase support for the mental health and wellness of first responders. Read the policy brief here.
Policy recommendations to align health and safety
The Washington state legislature directed the UW School of Social Work to align co-response services with activities of Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organizations, or BHASOs. These services include call centers, mobile rapid response teams and crisis relief centers.
In response, BHCore formed a partnership with The Council of State Governments Justice Center, creating an Aligning Health and Safety Workgroup with subject-matter experts in crisis response from both the 911 and behavioral health systems.
In January, the workgroup published Sustaining and Expanding Co-Response Interim Legislative Report, which makes policy recommendations on how to best support and sustain Fire and police-based co-response in Washington state.
Poise training scheduled for statewide expansion
In 2025, the Washington State Legislature required the University of Washington School of Social Work to establish a crisis-responder training academy and certification program (HB 1811).
In response, BHCore developed Poise, a 40-hour certificate program designed for co-responders, alternative responders, mobile crisis teams and others providing frontline behavioral health services. Poise includes a series of e-learning modules, live virtual workshops, and a two-day advanced-skills practice course. A certificate program will be piloted in the spring of 2026.
This coming fall, Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organizations will recommend crisis responders in their regions for Poise training. The recommendations will be based on BHCore mapping of the state’s crisis-response resources within the 911 and the behavioral health care system.
BHCore is also exploring the option of working with the Criminal Justice Training Commission to offer Poise training to police co-response teams supported with state grant dollars (HB 2015) behavioral health crisis and to ensure the systems or working in an integrated fashion.
Looking ahead
BHCore is working with Fire/EMS agencies to offer Coast, an eight-hour behavioral response and suicide prevention training. Washington state is a leader in promoting and requiring crisis intervention for police officers, but this is the first training designed specifically for fire departments and emergency medical services in our state.
The goal of this training is to enhance skills required in crisis response, improve understanding of behavioral health signs and symptoms, and map out effective follow-up services. Funding for Coast is provided by the Health Care Authority as part of BHCore’s Innovation Grants Program.