DSHS Strategic Plan- Behavioral Health and Habilitation Strategic Goals

 

At DSHS, our House of Health and Human Services priorities drive our agency’s Strategic Plan goals. This page highlights DSHS - Behavioral Health and Habilitation strategic goals, action plans and success measures.  

 

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Jump to other parts of the DSHS Strategic Plan: ES | FTA | HCL | IT | OS | VR

 

In the strategic planning process, we identify three key components. 

  1. The Strategic Goal: Sets the goal that we are striving to achieve. 
  2. The Action Plan: Our action strategies to get there. 
  3. The Success Measure: The outcomes to achieve a goal. 

 

Read below about all of the components of DSHS - Behavioral Health and Habilitation’s strategic goals.    

 

Strategic plan index: Jump to a section of the plan by clicking the Strategic Goal (SG) 

  1. Modernize and continuously improve behavioral health and habilitation services for individuals in BHHA care.  
  2. Promote a culture of safety for staff and individuals in our care. 
  3. Expand person-centered wrap around care through cross agency collaboration and BHHA services. 
  4. Be an Employer of Choice. 

Strategic Goal #1: Modernize and continuously improve behavioral health and habilitation services for individuals in BHHA care.  

The Action Plan: 

  • Increase standardization and modernize care with IT solutions to include an Electronic Health Record system and assistive technology systems.  
  • Continue to expand the use of Synapse as a data warehouse solution to tie existing BHHA data systems together. 
  • Strengthen BHHA's impact and broaden access to services by constructing and modernizing existing facilities to better serve the individuals in our care.  

Success Measure: 

  • 1.1:  Complete phase one implementation of the Epic Electronic Health Record plan by December 2027.  
  • 1.2: Construct a new 120 bed nursing facility at Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center by June 2027.  
  • 1.3: Seek appropriate accreditation in new and existing BHHA facilities by December 2027.  

Strategic Goal #2: Promote a culture of safety for staff and individuals in our care.  

The Action Plan: 

  • Reduce the number of assaults and injuries to staff and individuals in our care.  
  • Improve staff safety by increasing evidence-based de-escalation training compliance and introducing micro training opportunities.  

Success Measure: 

  • 2.1: Decrease staff assaults and injuries to individuals in our care by 10% from FY2025 to FY2027.  
  • 2.2: Increase staff safety training compliance to 90% by July 2026.  

Strategic Goal #3: Ensure access to individualized and person-centered care through cross agency collaboration and BHHA services.  

The Action Plan: 

  • Improve timeliness of behavioral health services to comply with the Trueblood Settlement.  
  • Manage bed capacity to adjust for changes in demand for different services.  
  • Increase culturally appropriate services for all individuals in our care.  

Success Measure: 

  • 3.1: Increase the number of jail-based evaluations completed within 14 days to 90% by the end of FY2027.  
  • 3.2: Increase the percentage of individuals in our care who agree or strongly agree that their cultural, spiritual, and religious beliefs are respected from 62% to 75% by December 2026.  

Strategic Goal #4:  Be an Employer of Choice.  

The Action Plan: 

  • Retain staff and implement succession planning efforts to promote from within.  
  • Implement standard organizational change management tools and practices.  
  • Expand and support staff development and training opportunities.  
  • Recruit and retain a high performing and engaged workforce that reflects the individuals and communities that we serve.  
  • Create a culture where fairness, access, and collaboration are woven into the fabric of leadership, process, and employee development.  
  • Build a sense of belonging for all staff by hosting listening sessions, modeling tools to increase engagement with teams, and implementing staff project ideas related to belonging.  

Success Measure: 

  • 4.1: Implement an administration-wide stay survey process by Spring 2026.  
  • 4.2: Increase the percentage of positive responses on the DSHS Employee Engagement Survey question, I feel supported during organizational change at this agency, from 35% to 50% by 2027.  
  • 4.3: Increase the percentage of positive responses on the DSHS Employee Engagement Survey question, my agency provides me with opportunities for learning and development, from 53% to 57% by 2027.  
  • 4.4: Increase the percentage of positive responses on the DSHS Employee Engagement Survey question, “I feel as if I belong at my agency”, from 57% to 65% by July 2026.