Crisis Response Improvement Strategy (CRIS) committees
In 2021, the Washington State Legislature passed HB 1477, establishing the Crisis Response Improvement Strategy (CRIS) Committee and Steering Committee. These committees, in partnership with seven subcommittees, developed legislative recommendations to support implementation of the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and the statewide improvement of behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services.
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Crisis response improvement strategy overview
The Washington State Legislature passed House Bill 1477 which directed the Health Care Authority (HCA), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Behavioral Health Institute (BHI) at Harborview Medical Center to create the Crisis Response Improvement Strategy (CRIS) Committee and Steering Committee. Both committees include legislatures, providers, consumers, and partner agencies.
Currently, the CRIS Committee meets quarterly and meetings are open to the public.
Read more about the committee members.
Meeting schedule and materials
Learn about public comments at CRIS meetings.
2025
- CRIS Committee
-
Date How to join Meeting materials Friday, June 6
10 a.m. to noon
- Hybrid: in person meeting option at HCA or virtual
- Additional meeting details and link will be provided two weeks prior to meeting
Thursday, August 7
1 to 3 p.m.
- Hybrid: in person meeting option at HCA or virtual
- Additional meeting details and link will be provided two weeks prior to meeting
Tuesday, November 4
1 to 3 p.m.
- Hybrid: in person meeting option at HCA or virtual
- Additional meeting details and link will be provided two weeks prior to meeting
- Steering Committee
-
Date
How to join
Meeting materials
Monday, October 20
2 to 3 p.m.
- Lived Experience Collaborative
-
Date How to join Meeting materials Monday, June 9
1 to 3 p.m.
Monday, July 14
1 to 3 p.m.
Monday, August 11
1 to 3 p.m.
Monday, September 8
1 to 3 p.m.
Monday, October 13
1 to 3 p.m.
Monday, November 10
1 to 3 p.m.
Monday, December 8
1 to 3 p.m.
Past meetings
- 2025
-
Committee Date Meeting materials Lived Experience Collaborative Monday, May 12 - Meeting focus: This meeting will focus on updates from the CRIS Steering Committee, the future of the Lived Experience Collaborative, and legislative updates.
- View the meeting agenda (05/12/2025)
- View the meeting presentation (05/12/2025)
CRIS Steering Committee Tuesday, May 6 Lived Experience Collaborative Monday, April 14 - Meeting focus: This meeting will focus on engaging lived experience input on the development of Mental Health Advanced Directive training, as well as discussion of the future of the Lived Experience Collaborative.
- View the meeting agenda 04/14/2025)
- View the meeting presentation (04/14/2025)
Lived Experience Collaborative Monday, March 10 - Meeting focus: This meeting will focus on legislative updates and the future of the Lived Experience group.
- View the meeting agenda (03/10/2025)
- View the meeting presentation (03/10/2025)
Lived Experience Collaborative Monday, February 10 - Meeting focus: This meeting will continue the discussion of ways to elevate lived experience voices to improve Washington’s behavioral health crisis system, as well as highlight behavioral health crisis bills in the 2025 legislative session.
- View the meeting agenda. (2/10/2025)
- View the meeting presentation. (02/10/2025)
Lived Experience Collaborative Tuesday, January 21 - 2024
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Committee
Date
Meeting materials
Steering Committee Monday, December 16 Lived Experience Subcommittee Monday, December 9 Meeting focus: This meeting focused on the future of the Lived Experience Subcommittee and discussion about future meetings in 2025.
CRIS Committee Wednesday, November 13 Meeting focus: This meeting focused on feedback on the draft Committee final report as well as discussing future plans for the CRIS in 2025.
Lived Experience Subcommittee Tuesday, November 12 Tribal listening session
Monday, November 4 Lived Experience Subcommittee Tuesday, October 15 Meeting focus: This meeting focused on the Lived Experience Stories Project, development of final CRIS Committee recommendations, and discussion of the Subcommittee's ideas for continued Lived Experience engagement in efforts to improve Washington's behavioral health crisis response.
Lived Experience Subcommittee Monday, September 9 Meeting focus: This meeting focused on plans for the CRIS Committee in 2025, 988 Geo-routing implementation plans, and updates on the Lived Experience Stories Project.
CRIS Committee Tuesday, September 24 - View the meeting agenda (09/24/2024)
- View the meeting presentation (09/24/2024)
- View the meeting summary (09/24/2024)
- View the meeting recording (09/24/2024)
- Summary of previous recommendations (2024)
- CRIS Updates newsletter (September 2024)
- CRIS Panel discussions summary (2024)
- CRIS Lived Experience Stories Project summary
- View the CRIS Lived Experience Stories Project presentation
- CRIS Panelist Bios (09/24/2024)
Lived Experience Subcommittee Monday, August 12 Lived Experience Subcommittee Monday, July 8 Meeting focus: This meeting focused on updates from the June 2024 CRIS Committee meeting and HCA Bed Registry Discovery Session.
CRIS Committee Tuesday, July 16 This meeting focused on learning about crisis work in Indian Country, as well as discussing cross system collaborations.
- View the meeting agenda (07/16/2024)
- View the meeting presentation (07/16/2024)
- View the meeting summary (07/16/2024)
- View the meeting recording (07/16/2024)
- View the meeting panelist biographies
- CRIS updates (July 2024)
- Mental Health Crisis Call Diversion Initiative mid-point data from the Department of Health (DOH)
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC) geo-routing comments from DOH
- DOH 911-988 warm transfer listening sessions
- CRIS Stories Project flyer
CRIS Committee Tuesday, June 18 This meeting focused on learning about specific needs of and programs for youth and transitional-age youth experiencing a behavioral health crisis, as well as recommendations on which system expansions and improvements will best serve youth.
Lived Experience Subcommittee Monday, June 10 This meeting continued the discussion of ways to elevate lived experience voices to improve Washington's behavioral health crisis system, as well as focused on updates from HCA, the CRIS Stories Project, and a discussion on Substance use disorder (SUD).
Lived Experience Subcommittee Monday, May 13
Meeting focus: This meeting continued the discussion of ways to elevate lived experience voices to improve Washington's behavioral health crisis system, as well as focused on opportunities available in the community for our Lived Experience members to become more involved.
CRIS Committee Thursday, April 18 Meeting focus: This meeting focused on identifying remaining gaps in the discussion of system performance metrics, specifically considerations for individuals with substance use disorder and rural and agricultural communities.
- View the meeting agenda (04/18/2024)
- View the meeting summary (04/18/2024)
- View the meeting recording (04/18/2024)
- View the panelist discussion recording (04/18/2024)
- View the meeting presentation (04/18/2024)
- CRIS Updates newsletter (April 2024)
- CRIS written public comments (as of April 12, 2024)
- System metrics (aligning with WA Guiding Principles)
- WA Behavioral Health current metrics
- Panelist bios: crisis response in rural and agricultural communities
Lived Experience Subcommittee Monday, April 8 - View the meeting agenda (04/08/2024).
- View the meeting presentation (04/08/2024).
- Meeting focus: Updates on the Washington 988 communications campaign and 988 Contact Hub rulemaking, as well as discussion of Substance Use Disorders and Crisis Response.
CRIS Committee Thursday, March 28 - View the meeting agenda (03/28/2024).
- View the meeting summary (03/28/2024).
- View the meeting presentation (03/28/2024).
- Department of Health suicide prevention listening session flyer
- View the March 2024 updates.
- View the discussion and input on system performance metrics.
- View the meeting recording (03/28/2024).
Lived Experience Subcommittee Monday, March 11 Meeting focus: Continuing discussion of ways to elevate lived experience voices to improve Washington’s behavioral health crisis system, as well as highlighting behavioral health crisis bills in the 2024 legislative session and providing an update on the CRIS February 2024 meeting.
CRIS Committee Tuesday, February 27 Meeting focus: Articulating a future state of performance metrics for the crisis response system.
- View the meeting agenda (02/27/2024).
- View the meeting presentation (02/27/2024).
- View the meeting summary (02/27/2024)
- CRIS Updates newsletter (February 2024)
- Youth MRSS metrics example
- CRIS Committee progress report
- Crisis System metrics examples (NASMHPD)
- Written public comments (as of February 21, 2024)
- View the meeting recording.
- Breakout Group 1 recording
- Breakout Group 2 recording
- Breakout Group 3 recording
Lived Experience Subcommittee Monday, February 12 Meeting focus: Continue the discussion of ways to elevate lived experience voices to improve Washington’s behavioral health crisis system, as well as highlight behavioral health crisis bills in the 2024 legislative session and provide an update on the CRIS January 2024 meeting.
CRIS Committee
Wednesday, January 31 Lived Experience Subcommittee Monday, January 22 Meeting focus: Key behavioral health crisis bills for the 2024 legislative session, state agency crisis system improvement focus areas, and discussion of ways to elevate lived experience voices to improve Washington’s behavioral health crisis system.
Committee members
CRIS Committee and Steering Committee
Members represent a diverse range of perspectives and serve in committee seats outlined by HB 1477. View the CRIS Committee and Steering Committee roster.
CRIS subcommittees
Originally, the Steering Committee formed seven CRIS subcommittees:
- Credentialing and Training Subcommittee
- Technology Subcommittee
- Cross-System Crisis Response Subcommittee
- Confidential Information Compliance and Coordination
- Rural and Agricultural Communities
- Lived Experience (open to all individuals and families with lived experience; subcommittee will not be limited in size)
- Tribal 988 Subcommittee (facilitated through the Tribal Centric Behavioral Health Advisory Board)
The CRIS Committee selected subcommittee members for their diverse community perspectives and professional expertise to help develop recommendations for an integrated behavioral health and suicide prevention system in Washington. Subcommittee work has now concluded, with the Lived Experience Collaborative and Tribal 988 Subcommittee continuing to meet monthly.
For information about subcommittee work, please see the HB 1477 2023 Subcommittee report.
View the 2022 HB 1477 Subcommittee report.
Lived Experience Stories Project
The Lived Experience subcommittee of the CRIS Committee engaged the CRIS Lived Experience Stories Project – a project aimed to elevate stories and perspectives of people across Washington state who have accessed behavioral health crisis services for themselves or someone else. These shared stories were brought into the work of the CRIS and informed the development of recommendations for improving the state behavioral health crisis system. For outcomes from this work, please see the CRIS Lived Experience Project Summary and video presentation.
Public comment
All CRIS Committee meetings are public meetings. Members of the public are welcome and encouraged to share input. All public comments, whether submitted during or outside of committee meetings, will be considered by CRIS Committee and Steering Committee members.
How do I make a public comment?
There is an opportunity at each CRIS Committee meeting to share comments, and members of the public who wish to do so can email Bonnie Shelley, by noon one business day before the meeting. In addition, if you would like to submit a written comment, please email HCA Program 1477.
Reports and documentation
- Legislative reports
-
January 1, 2025: Final Report to the Governor and Legislature fulfilling requirements as set forth by RCW 71.24.892.
January 1, 2024: Third legislative progress report, including recommendations in 13+ areas outlined by the legislation.
January 1, 2023: Second legislative progress report
January 1, 2022: First legislative progress report, including result of a comprehensive assessment of the current behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services system, and preliminary recommendations related to funding of crisis response services from the Statewide 988 Behavioral Health Crisis Response and Suicide Prevention Line Account (Account).
- Federal and State legislation
- HCA / DOH reports
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HCA reports
- 988 system draft technical and operational plan to legislature
- 988 system final technical and operational plan to legislature
DOH documents
- Washington State 988 Implementation Plan
- Washington 988 State Volume and Cost Projections Report Vibrant Emotional Health
- DOH WA 988 Planning Grant project narrative
- Lifeline 988 State Planning Grant RFA
- Overview of Lifeline Network and Universal Platform
- Preparing for 988 Implementation
- Template 988 Implementation Plan
- User Guide 988 Implementation Plan
- Core Area Instructions — 988 Implementation Plan
- Coverage Area Schedule Worksheet for 988 Implementation Plan
DOH/Vibrant technical details
- 988 Implementation Coalition
- Technical details on Unified Platform
- Unified Platform benefits and implementation schedule
- Unified Platform public final press release
DOH presentations
- Resources
Committee charters
Review the CRIS Committee charter and CRIS Steering Committee charter to learn more about their charge, roles and responsibilities, meeting guidelines, and more.