See the Washington State Department of Health websites at:
BHA General FAQ
Certification has three steps:
1. Apply and be accepted as a possible training applicant;
2. Successfully complete a 40-hour approved training; and
3. Pass the state exam.
Upon passing the test, you will receive a letter confirming you have met these requirements.
Many employers also require that you become licensed by the Department of Health as an Agency Affiliated Counselor after being hired. Your employer or the Department of Health can provide information about this process. This license is only required for those who provide Medicaid-billable services.
Each patient's treatment team is comprised of physicians, social workers, rehabilitation therapy staff, and nursing staff. They work with the patient to identify strengths and goals and establish a discharge plan. Families and significant others are encouraged to be active members of the patient’s support network.
Peer counselors may work in various settings, such as community clinics, hospitals, and crisis teams. Peer counselors, under the supervision of a Mental Health Professional and as part of a healthcare team, may:
- Assist an individual or family in identifying services and activities that promote recovery and lead to increased meaning and purpose.
- Assist individuals and families in developing their own goals.
- Share their own recovery stories that are relevant and helpful in overcoming the obstacles faced by individuals and families.
- Promote personal responsibility for recovery.
- Assist in a wide range of services to regain control and success in their own lives, such as developing supportive relationships, self-advocacy, stable housing, education, and employment.
- Serve as an advocate.
- Model skills in recovery and self-management.
- Complete documentation about their services for Medicaid and employer requirements.
- 24-Hour Telephone Crisis Evaluation and Triage
- Mobile Crisis
- Referrals
- Crisis Plans
Please contact the Medical Records Department at: 582-8900
When a patient arrives at the hospital, a physician and nurse meet with the patient to discuss the reasons for the admission. A discharge plan is formulated at the time of admission. The patient and staff identify strengths and goals to achieve discharge. The patient is then introduced to the ward staff, other patients, and his/her ward environment.
At the time of admission, the patient’s clothing and personal items will be checked and inventoried. As a precaution against loss or theft, the patient is asked to allow all clothing to be marked with the patient’s name.
Patients are asked to have family members to keep all valuables. Valuable items that are brought to the hospital are maintained in the hospital’s safe. If a patient chooses to keep a personal item in his/her possession, the patient will assume liability for loss.
Patients are not allowed to keep sharp or potentially dangerous items such as knives, scissors, straight and safety razors, cigarette lighters or lighter fluid, or glass containers or bottles. These items will be stored in the Security Office or disposed of.
Since storage space is limited, patients are encouraged to not bring personal property to the hospital other than clothing.
The physician will assess whether a patient’s personal medications should be provided to him/her while hospitalized or if hospital medications will be substituted. Patient’s personal medications will be stored. Family members should not bring medications (either prescription or over-the-counter) to patients in the hospital.
Patients are allowed to keep a reasonable amount of spending money. Money is deposited in an account with the hospital. Withdrawals are made by notifying the designated staff member on the unit.
- While the law states that a parent can authorize the bringing of his or her minor child to an evaluation and treatment facility, it does not establish specific procedures, responsibilities or funding for transporting minors to an evaluation and treatment facility for evaluation of medical necessity for admission. It does not require law enforcement to transport or apprehend minors in these circumstances.
- When called upon to assess whether a minor needs involuntary treatment, a DMHP may take the minor or cause the minor to be taken into custody and transported to an Evaluation and Treatment facility providing inpatient treatment. RCW 71.34.600-660
- If the minor is not taken into custody for evaluation and treatment, the parent can seek review of the decision made by the DMHP in court. RCW 71.34.600-660
You may call the Consumer Affairs Office: 253-761-7575 or 1-800-558-4737
- Child and Family Team or Wraparound is NOT a program, a type of service, or family therapy. It is a process based on the idea that services should be tailored to meet the needs of children and their families. There is an underlying value and commitment to create services and supports "one kid at a time" to promote community-based options to support children and youths with complex needs and their families.
- Often one or more agencies are involved with the family and work collaboratively with them and others who are close to the family. They function as a team to support the family and each other, working towards common goals.
The CLIP Administration is the central location in the State of Washington that receives all voluntary and involuntary treatment referrals of children and adolescents for the four CLIP programs. Before a referral is sent to the CLIP Administration, the guardian and community treatment providers must go through a local process and obtain approval from the local Behavioral Health Organizations (BHO). Each BHO has a process where guardians, mental health teams, school representatives, and support members present their case to the local committee for approval.
Hospital and outpatient mental health services are available to you and your family if they are needed. Some of services include:
- Crisis services;
- Individual therapy;
- Group therapy; and
- Medication evaluation, prescription and management.
You may also receive employment support services, case management and other services through your BHO.
For more detailed information, please call the BHO for your community listed on the BHO pages or call the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery at 1-888-713-6010.
Interpreter services are available upon request. Most written materials are translated into languages other than English based upon the service area population.
Some community mental health agencies have staff who speak other languages besides English. There is more information on the page for your BHO. If you or someone you know wants services in another language, your BHO must provide language assistance at no cost to you. Assistance can be provided both orally and in writing.
If you need mental health services, an individual service plan will be developed with you. Your plan will consider your age and your culture. You may receive one or more of the services listed above. The plan will be fit to you, according to your strengths and needs. Your mental health care provider will decide with you which services you will be provided and for how long.
Your mental health care provider may also ask permission to work with people who provide you other services such as housing, healthcare, and employment.
Other Medicaid benefits may be available to you. Here are some reference numbers:
Physical health: Contact information on back of your card
Substance Abuse: 1-877-301-4557
Transportation Broker: 1-800-562-3022/911 for crisis
There are two types of formal complaints that you may make. One type is an appeal, which is a formal complaint about an action. An action is a denial, suspension, reduction, or termination of certain services. See Benefits booklet for more information.
A less restrictive alternative (LRA) is outpatient treatment provided to an individual who meets criteria for commitment but is not residing in a facility providing inpatient treatment. If the court finds that the individual meets the criteria for commitment, the court can either authorize commitment of the individual for inpatient treatment or for a less restrictive alternative treatment. Release under a less restrictive alternative is subject to conditions set by the court.
If the professional in charge of the outpatient treatment program or a DMHP determines that an individual is failing to adhere to the conditions of the court for a less restrictive alternative treatment or conditions for the release or if there is deterioration in functioning, the individual can be taken into custody and transported to an inpatient evaluation and treatment facility. The DMHP must then file a petition with the court for revocation of less restrictive alternative treatment. RCW 71.34.740 (5), RCW 71.34.740 (10).
- An assessment is a process performed by a clinician to determine if treatment is necessary, functioning level, the diagnosis and if your child meets the Access to Care Standards. Additional information will be gathered to determine medical necessity, the length and level of care. This is done through an interview with the youth and could include parents and other family members. The clinician will also ask for historical and family information. In this process, it is important to remember that this is about exploring solutions and not about blaming.
- Information and records with the consent of the parent, legal guardian or youth if appropriate might be gathered from other sources. These could be medical, mental health, school, juvenile justice and other types of records.
- The assessment also includes the child and family's strengths, needs and situation. The clinician might also perform diagnostic tests.
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Based on the assessment, a determination of whether the individual meets all the following requirements to be considered for a level of care assignment:
- The individual is determined to have a mental illness. The diagnosis must be included as a covered diagnosis in the list of Covered Childhood Disorders.
- The individual's impairment(s) and corresponding need(s) must be the result of a mental illness.
- The intervention is deemed to be reasonably calculated to improve, stabilize or prevent deterioration of functioning resulting from the presence of a mental illness.
- The individual is expected to benefit from the intervention.
- The individual's unmet need would not be more appropriately met by any other formal or informal system or support
- If a level of care is assigned, a decision on the appropriate course of treatment will be made by the parents or legal guardian, the child or adolescent if appropriate, and the clinician.
The Patient Advocate’s office provides services to patients at Eastern State Hospital to help them resolve conflict and complaints. The Patient Advocate can be reached at (509) 565-4520.
- Acute psychiatric inpatient treatment is provided in a community hospital or a certified freestanding Evaluation and Treatment facility (E&T).
- For publicly funded services, a medical necessity determination is made by the RSN/PIHP or Designated Mental Health Professional (DMHP). For privately funded services, the individual's insurance company makes that determination. The length of stay in the hospital is variable, depending upon the individual's needs.
Family-centered care and supports are developed with the philosophy that recognizes the pivotal role of the family in the lives of children. This approach ensures that families are supported in the natural care giving and decision-making roles for their children by building on their unique strengths as people.
There are three cottages, which are single story with a basement (storage only) and have basically the same layout. An obvious exception is Orcas Cottage. It has an attached and enclosed basketball court where the others have access to a basketball court on the campus but not attached to their building. Orcas Cottage serves older kids, some of whom were referred by the juvenile justice system to CSTC. CSTC is the only state children’s long-term psychiatric hospital. The items in common for all three cottages include a large main entry / meeting room (also referred to as the day hall), two TV / meeting rooms, a resource room, a large dining room and kitchen area, offices for the doctors and social worker, a nurse’s station, staff paperwork area and a quiet room (QR). It is also referred to as the “seclusion” room. Some cottages also have a calming room (CR). There are four Pods. The Pods contain 4 individual bedrooms and a common bathroom, shower and storage area. The kids in each Pod have a staff person who they go to for direction and help. This person is referred to as their “Primary”. All three cottages are locked from the outside and on the inside going outside. Access to every interior room is locked however access to the core of the structure is not. Staff has keys to all the rooms. There is a fire protection sprinkler system. The alarm system has sound and strobe lights. The floor is reinforced concrete with tile cover in the bedrooms, dining room, laundry room, bathrooms and part of the halls in the Pod areas. The Day Room, parts of the Pod halls and the office area have carpeting.