Behavioral health administrative services organizations shall use their authorities under RCW
71.24.045 to establish coordination within the behavioral health crisis response system in each regional service area including, but not limited to, establishing comprehensive protocols for dispatching mobile rapid response crisis teams and community-based crisis teams. In furtherance of this:
(1) The behavioral health administrative services organization may convene regional behavioral health crisis response system partners and stakeholders within available resources for the purpose of establishing clear regional protocols which memorialize expectations, understandings, lines of communication, and strategies for optimizing crisis response in the regional service area. The regional protocols must describe how crisis response partners will share information consistent with data-sharing requirements under RCW
71.24.890, including real-time information sharing between 988 contact hubs, regional crisis lines, or their successors, to create a seamless delivery system that is person-centered;
(2) Behavioral health administrative services organizations shall submit regional protocols created under subsection (1) of this section to the authority for approval. If the authority does not respond within 90 days of submission, the regional protocols shall be considered approved until such time as the behavioral health administrative services organization and the authority agree to updated protocols. A behavioral health administrative services organization must notify the authority by January 1, 2025, if it does not intend to develop and submit regional protocols;
(3) A behavioral health administrative services organization may recommend to the department the 988 contact hub or hubs which it determines to be the best fit for partnership and implementation of regional protocols in its regional service area among candidates which are able to meet necessary state and federal requirements. The 988 contact hub or hubs recommended by the behavioral health administrative services organization must be able to connect to the culturally appropriate behavioral health crisis response services established under this chapter;
(4) The department may designate additional 988 contact hubs recommended by a behavioral health administrative services organization within available resources and when the addition of more hubs is consistent with the rules adopted under RCW
71.24.890 and a need identified in regional protocols. If the department declines to designate a 988 contact hub that has been recommended by a behavioral health administrative services organization, the department shall provide a written explanation of its reasons to the behavioral health administrative services organization;
(5) The department and the authority shall provide support to a behavioral health administrative services organization in the development of protocols under subsection (1) of this section upon request by the behavioral health administrative services organization;
(6) Regional protocols established under subsection (1) of this section must be in writing and, once approved, copies shall be provided to the department, authority, and state 911 coordination office. The regional protocols should be updated as needed and at intervals of no longer than three years; and
(7) For the purpose of subsection (1) of this section, partners and stakeholders in the coordinated regional behavioral health crisis response system include but are not limited to regional crisis lines, 988 contact hubs, certified public safety telecommunicators, local governments, tribal governments, first responders, co-response teams, mobile rapid response crisis teams, hospitals, organizations representing persons with lived experience, and behavioral health agencies.
