By Natalie Gustafson
Behavioral Health and Prevention Services Director, NWESD 189
Students and families across the state may soon have better access to behavioral health, thanks to a new effort to provide them with equitable access to behavioral health.
Washington Thriving developed as a sub-group of the Children’s Behavioral Health Workgroup that was legislatively tasked with creating a statewide prenatal to age 25 Behavioral Health Strategic Plan. Washington Thriving brought together the voices of families, caregivers, school partners, behavioral health agencies, and state entities who all support children’s behavioral health. This plan is highly informed by the very people who are closest to this work.
A new bill in front of the state legislature, Senate Bill 6244, is the next step in implementing this plan and making a real difference for students in our region.
This is one step on the decade-long roadmap outlined by the Behavioral Health Strategic Plan.
I was included in the sub-group because of my work advocating on behalf of behavioral health care for children and my work at the NWESD, which is a Behavioral Health Agency.
In our region, our NWESD Student Assistance and Behavioral Health Service providers interact with thousands of students each year. We know first-hand how access to services can greatly impact and improve behavioral health and academic outcomes for students. We understand what services are available and not available to them in our region. There are some students who may need more intensive or different services than we can provide in school, and there must be coordinated systems in place to transition students to those services. We also hear from our district partners and their staff about the concerns and needs they face when supporting their students’ behavioral health and wellness.
Behavioral Health and Wellness of our state’s children and families impacts many facets of our lives. Whether children and families feel heard, safe, understood, and supported affects how they learn, play, interact, and develop in our communities.
This strategic plan helps define Behavioral Health and Wellness priorities across the many agencies, sectors and services that support children and families. The coordination of these efforts will help to reduce systemic barriers and reduce stress on children and families who rely on these supports.
The vision statement of Washington Thriving states it “envisions a future where every pregnant person, baby, child, youth, and young adult is thriving, supported by their caregivers, families, and communities.”
What does that mean?
It means our children and youth are informing Washington State’s Behavioral Health system, which ensures that all doors lead to support and investment in prevention and well-being. It means our system is proactive instead of just responsive.
There is an immense need in Washington State. Only 37% of young people who need substance abuse services actually receive them. Studies also show that 40% of behavioral health workers leave their jobs.
This initiative puts a focus on youth. Research shows that 75% of lifetime mental illnesses emerge by the age of 24 in the United States.
According to Mental Health America, Washington State currently ranks 48th nationally in youth flourishing, a metric indicative of the comprehensive well-being of our children.
Washington Thriving has identified the immediate actions needed to advance work over the next 1-3 years. This includes strengthening the system’s infrastructure and filling critical service gaps, with an initial focus on pregnant people and parents, young people in school, and closing treatment gaps for those with the most complex needs. The opportunity to share our voices amplifies the needs of our NWESD region to the state level. That work helps inform the state’s strategic plan work. It also highlights the role that ESDs can play statewide in the behavioral health system.
