Prenatal, child, youth, and young adult behavioral health
Health Care Authority (HCA) is committed to supporting pregnant individuals, children, youth, young adults, families and caregivers through Prenatal – age 25 Behavioral Health (P-25 BH) programs and services. These services focus on meeting the unique needs of individuals at every stage of development, from pregnancy to early adulthood.
Guided by Washington State’s Children’s Behavioral Health Principles, we work with partners across youth and family serving systems (such as physical health, education, juvenile justice, early learning, public health, regional leaders, child welfare that includes foster care) to ensure care is family-driven, youth driven, community-based, and culturally responsive.
On this page
Do you want to receive announcements about prenatal, child, and young adult behavioral health?
Prenatal-25 BH priorities
Our top priority is making sure pregnant individuals, children, youth, young adults, families and caregivers across Washington get the behavioral health support they need from pregnancy through early adulthood. We partner across systems to offer care and services that meet the needs of pregnant individuals, parents, caregivers, children, and young adults. By working closely with parents, caregivers, and youth with lived experience, tribes, schools, and healthcare providers, we’re working together to build a supportive system of care in some cases regardless of age or insurance.
Principles and the System of Care approach
At Health Care Authority, we believe every child, youth, young adult, and family/caregivers should have access to behavioral health services in the most effective and least restrictive environment.
Our work is guided by the System of Care philosophy, which emphasizes:
- Family and youth-driven services, policies, and programs
- Community-based solutions
- Culturally and linguistically responsive care, policies, and programs
We collaborate across youth-serving systems including education, healthcare, juvenile justice, and child welfare to ensure services meet the needs of pregnant individuals, parents, caregivers, youth, and young adults. While not every part of HCA has fully implemented the System of Care approach, we continue working toward policies and programs that align with these values.
Explore Washington State’s Children’s Behavioral Health Principles to see how they guide our work in supporting youth, families, and caregivers.
- Learn more about the System of Care philosophy, values and guiding principles.
- Read The Evolution of the System of Care Approach: English | Spanish
Programs and services
Our behavioral health initiatives support a range of statewide programs and services from pregnancy through young adulthood in communities across Washington State, in some cases regardless of age and insurance.
Visit the Prenatal, child, and young adult behavioral health services page for a full list of services or the P-25 Behavioral Health quick reference guide.
Some of these programs include:
- Center of Parent Excellence (COPE) Project
- Kids Mental Health Washington
- Parent Child Assistance Program (PCAP)
- Youth mobile response stabilization services (MRSS)
- Youth and Young Adult Housing Response Team (YYHART)
- Youth substance use disorder treatment services
- And more
Special projects
HCA has several current projects supporting communities across the state in their efforts in supporting pregnant individuals, children, youth, young adults, families and caregivers.
- Mental health toolkit
-
Our health is deeply influenced by our connections with our community. The places with live, work, learn and gather all play a crucial role in shaping our mental well-being. As part of Mental Health Month in May, HCA encourages individuals to Build Bridges, Create Connections, as we explore parts of our community and its effect on our mental health and well-being. This toolkit offers practical resources to support your mental health and that of your community.
- No Shame in Your Brain toolkit
-
HCA launched a mental health promotion campaign entitled No Shame in Your Brain for youth ages 13-18. The campaign promotes easy-to-access resources by text or phone for youth who want to connect and talk with someone. It focuses on socializing mental health as a positive concept and celebrates the unique qualities of teens. You can learn more about the campaign by reading the No Shame in Your Brain toolkit. If you would like to utilize the assets from the toolkit, please contact the communications team.
- System of Care grant
-
The federally awarded System of Care (SOC) grant supports a collaborative, community-driven approach to improving behavioral health services for children, youth, families, and caregivers in Washington State. Through this grant, HCA works with partners to expand access to coordinated, culturally responsive, and family-centered care. SOC initiatives focus on strengthening cross-system collaboration, enhancing peer and family support, and promoting evidence-based practices to ensure young people receive the right care at the right time. By fostering strong partnerships and integrating services, the SOC grant helps build a more effective and inclusive behavioral health system.
- Promoting the Integration of Primary and Behavioral Health Care (PIPBHC) grant
-
The Integrated Care Program supports children and young adults (ages 0–25) in Eastern Washington who have serious emotional disturbances (SED) and physical health conditions. Serving six counties in and around Spokane, the program focuses on improving overall health by connecting mental and physical healthcare.
Through stronger collaboration between doctors, therapists, and care teams, the program ensures youth receive coordinated, culturally responsive, and evidence-based care. It also works to improve long-term outcomes by building sustainable systems and exploring new ways to pay for integrated services.
- Washington Rapid Care Team (RCT) (HB1580)
-
The 1580 WA Rapid Care Team (RCT) is a multidisciplinary, cross-agency initiative established under 2SHB 1580 | RCW 43.06.535, to support children and youth in crisis; identified as those under age 18 who are hospitalized without medical necessity or are DCYF dependent and facing placement instability. The RCT aims to reduce prolonged hospital stays by facilitating coordinated interventions and system-level solutions. The team includes representatives from the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), Health Care Authority (HCA), Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Office of Financial Management (OFM), and A Common Voice (ACV) | The Center of Parent Excellence (COPE), all led by the Governor’s Office Project Director. Together, these partners work to remove systemic barriers, ensure timely and appropriate transitions, and support the safety, stability, and well-being of children and families impacted by complex behavioral health challenges. RCT will be available until June 30, 2027. Email the team to request a referral form, submit a referral, or for general inquiries.
- Healthy Transitions grant
-
The Healthy Transitions grant focuses on improving emotional and behavioral health outcomes for youth and young adults aged 16 to 25 at risk for serious mental illness (SMI) or serious emotional disturbance (SED) as they transition into adulthood. Through this initiative, HCA works to enhance access to developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive services that support education, employment, housing stability, and overall well-being. The grant helps strengthen community partnerships, expand peer support, and provide targeted interventions to empower young people in building independent, fulfilling lives. By creating a more seamless system of care, the Healthy Transitions grant ensures that youth receive the support they need to thrive.
- Provider and network needs in response to youth SUD residential closures
-
Informational sessions were held in June, July and August 2023 in response to youth substance use disorder (SUD) residential closures, and to hear provider impacts and needs.
Get involved
- Family Youth System Partner Round Tables (FYSPRTs)
-
FYSPRTs bring families/caregivers, youth, and system partners together to improve behavioral health services and outcomes for youth and their parents or caregivers in Washington State. These groups provide a space to share lived experiences, identify recurring gaps or needs, and collaborate on solutions to ensure youth and families/caregivers have access to the services that they need. FYSPRTs represent the policy level of the system of care approach by ensuring that the voices of youth and families/caregivers are part of shaping policies and services to create a more responsive and effective behavioral health system.
- Washington Thriving
-
Washington Thriving is a collaborative statewide effort to develop a strategic plan for equitable behavioral health for children, youth, young adults from before they are born through age 25, including their parents and caregivers. This ambitious process prioritizes collaborative engagement between individuals with lived or living experience as a youth or parent or caregiver and decision makers who will act to make the vision a reality.
- Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (CYBHWG)
-
The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (CYBHWG) provides recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature to improve behavioral health services and supports for children, youth, young adults, and their families/caregivers. The group includes legislators, state agencies, health care providers, tribal governments, community behavioral health services, advocates, and other organizations, as well as youth and young people who have received services and parents of children and youth who have received services.
- Statewide Youth Network
-
The Statewide Youth Network empowers young people to use their voices and lived experiences to improve behavioral health services in Washington State. This network connects youth leaders, provides leadership opportunities, and fosters collaboration to create positive change. The network helps shape policies, programs, and services to better support the needs of youth and young adults.
- Statewide Family Network for Children’s Behavioral Health
-
The Statewide Family Network for children’s behavioral health provides support, connection, and advocacy for parents and caregivers navigating the behavioral health system in Washington State. Hosted by Washington State Community Connectors, the Statewide Family Network empowers parents and caregivers through shared experiences, resources, and peer support to influence policies and services to ensure children and youth receive the care they need.
- The Bridge Coalition
-
The Bridge Coalition is a statewide collaboration that brings together community-based housing providers, behavioral health discharge planners, state organizations, tribes, youth, and individuals with lived experience to prevent young people from being discharged into homelessness after residential inpatient programs. Working together, the Coalition leads the development of trainings, education, agency spotlights, and other collective efforts. By offering developmentally appropriate trainings and resources, The Bridge supports housing stability for unaccompanied youth and young adults who have experienced housing instability or behavioral health challenges.
(Updated June 2025)