Dear friends and neighbors,
Washington families are facing serious challenges right now, especially when it comes to youth mental & behavioral health. As Co-Chair of the Children & Youth Behavioral Health Work Group, addressing this crisis continues to be a top priority for me—just as it is for many in our community. I am incredibly hopeful about what we’ll be able to accomplish this session by working together.
Supporting our young people and their families
I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done these last few years to address Washington’s mental & behavioral health crisis, but our state’s young people need us to do more. Here are just a few of the bills I’ve introduced so far this session to ensure they get the support they need.
House Bill 1204: The more collaboration that we can have between our foster caregivers and our parents, children are given more of a chance to truly thrive. The Family Connections Program allows us to create a team around each child and put their needs first. My bill will help keep this program going for years to come. See me testify on this bill by clicking here.
House Bill 1230: One of the best ways to keep young people safe when they are in crisis is ensuring their families and peers have quick access critical information. By making information about drug overdoses and secure storage of medications & firearms readily available, we can save lives. My bill will bring that information to our school district websites so young people and their families can easily find it when they need it.
House Bill 1348: If we want to provide support when and where families need it, we need to grow our behavioral health workforce. My bill will create a new behavioral health support specialist certification to expand access to high-quality care throughout the state and easing workforce shortages by allowing behavioral health professionals to practice at the top of their license.
House Bill 1479: There is no therapeutic or educational justification for isolating or restraining students in nonemergency situations. In fact, these practices can cause significant physical and emotional harm to both students and staff. My bill would prohibit these practices in our schools.
House Bill 1580: When children & youth face behavioral health crises, they may require hospitalization to keep them safe. But some of these young people find themselves stuck in hospital with no place to go that can provide the continued care they may need. My bill would create a multi-agency response team to help get them out of hospital while ensuring these young people and their families receive the support they deserve.
The legislative page program is back!
With the Legislature meeting in-person again, the legislative page program is back! I’m so glad that Rohana could join us at the Capitol last week to learn about the legislative process and help us serve our community back home.
Know a student that would like to join us in the Legislature for a week? Check out the page program website by clicking here or reach out to my legislative assistant, Erika Boyd, at (360) 786-7876 or by email to learn how to apply.
It’s always good to hear from all of you in Washington’s 5th district. Never hesitate to reach out to me if there’s anything we can do to assist you or your family.
With gratitude,
State Representative Lisa Callan
5th Legislative District