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Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (CYBHWG)

The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (CYBHWG) provides recommendations to the Legislature to improve behavioral health services and strategies for children, youth, young adults, and their families. The group includes representatives from the Legislature, state agencies, health care providers, tribal governments, community health services, and other organizations, as well as parents of children and youth who have received services.

On this page

Vision and mission

Co-chairs

Advisory groups

Recommendations

Background

Vision and mission

Vision

Each and every Washington child, youth and young adult, and their families are thriving.

Mission

  • Identify barriers and develop solutions and opportunities for equitable, high quality behavioral health services and strategies for children, youth and young adults (prenatal to age 25) and their families through seeking deep and significant engagement of those receiving, delivering and funding the services.
  • Work to ensure that all children, youth, and families have access to high-quality, equitable, well-resourced behavioral health education, care and supports when and where they need it.

The CYBHWG recommends legislation and other changes to ensure that behavioral health services for all of Washington’s children, youth and young adults, and their families, are:

  • Accessible, affordable, effective, timely, and engaging;
  • Culturally, linguistically, and developmentally relevant;
  • Supportive and affirming of gender orientation;
  • Supported by evidence;
  • Incorporate tailored innovations, as needed;
  • Coordinated across sectors, and tailored and aligned with communities’ strengths and needs;
  • Integrated whole-person care;
  • Normalized as part of everyone’s healthcare;
  • Sustainable, with robust capacity and funding;
  • Hold the promise of measurably improving health and outcomes; and
  • Amply resourced for all children, youth, and young adults.

Co-chairs

Advisory groups

The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (CYBHWG) has five advisory groups working in these areas:

Prenatal to age five relational health

Workforce and rates

Specific to the prenatal to 25 age group.

Leads:

Student behavioral health and suicide prevention

Leads:

Youth and young adult continuum of care

Quad leads:

Behavioral Health Integration

Recommendations

Background

The Children's Behavioral Health Work Group was first created by the Legislature by Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2439 (2016), the workgroup released recommendations before disbanding July 1, 2017. The workgroup reformed in 2018 through Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2779 (2018) to continue the work they started. In 2020, Second Substitute House Bill 2737 renamed the work group as the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group, and extended its work through 2026.

The work ends on December 30, 2026.

Contact

Email: cybhwg@hca.wa.gov