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
Prenatal-25 Behavioral Health Strategic Plan
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 health care;
- 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
- Representative Lisa Callan
Email: lisa.callan@leg.wa.gov - Dr. Keri Waterland
Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA)
Email: keri.waterland@hca.wa.gov
Subcommittees
The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (CYBHWG) has five subcommittees working in these areas:
Prenatal to age five relational health
- Representative Debra Entenman
Email: Debra.Entenman@leg.wa.gov - Bridget Lecheile
Email: bridget@wa-aimh.org
Workforce and rates
Specific to the prenatal to 25 age group.
Leads:
- Representative Mari Leavitt
Email: Mari.Leavitt@leg.wa.gov - Hugh Ewart
Email: Hugh.Ewart@seattlechildrens.org - Laurie Lippold
Email: Laurie.Lippold@gmail.com
Student behavioral health and suicide prevention
Leads:
- Representative My-Linh Thai
Email: My-Linh.Thai@leg.wa.gov - Lee Collyer
Email: lee.collyer@k12.wa.us
Youth and young adult continuum of care
Quad leads:
- Representative Lauren Davis
Email: lauren.davis@leg.wa.gov - Representative Carolyn Eslick
Email: Carolyn.Eslick@leg.wa.gov - Michelle Karnath (parent)
Email: Michelle.Karnath@clark.wa.gov - Lillian Williamson (young adult)
Email: lillian.martha.williamson@gmail.com
Behavioral Health Integration
- Kristin Houser
Email: houser@sgb-law.com - Sarah Rafton
Email: srafton@wcaap.org
Recommendations
- Recommendations for 2023 legislative session
- Children and youth behavioral health work group detailed recommendations packet for 2023
- Agency budget proposals for 2023
- Recommendations for 2022 legislative session (post-session status)
- Recommendations for 2021 legislative session (post-session status)
- Recommendations for 2020 legislative session (post-session status)
- Report: Children and youth behavioral health work group recommendations 2016-2020
- Children's mental health work group final report 2016
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