Workforce Development

The behavioral health landscape is changing with the advent of 988 mental health call centers, new mobile crisis and co-response teams, and crisis stabilization centers that offer an alternative to emergency room care.

The need for behavioral health professionals with specialized skills has never been greater. BHCore has two strategies to grow the number, skills, and diversity of the state’s behavioral health workers.

First, BHCore is recruiting talented students from underserved communities into the crisis outreach and response field. This includes bachelor- and masters-level candidates in social work, marriage and family therapy, counseling, emergency medical technicians, and related disciplines. As part of this effort, we are expanding the of number emergency and mental health agencies willing to train a new generation of behavioral health professionals.

Second, BHCore is developing a statewide training program for mental health professionals who treat first responders with work-related trauma. The rates of behavioral health issues and suicide among first responders in our state is alarmingly high. BHCore is recruiting retired first responders and others equipped with the knowledge and experience to help train mental health professionals working with first responders.

Register today for the 2025 Washington State Annual Co-Response Conference

Registration is now open for the state’s third annual co-response conference, May 15–16, 2025 at the Cedarbrook Lodge in SeaTac, WA. The conference is sponsored by UW School of Social Work’s Behavioral Health Crisis Outreach Response and Education Center (BHCore) and the Co-Responder Outreach Alliance (CROA). Please go here for details on the agenda, speakers and how to register.

To top