OLYMPIA — Over the past several years, Washington has seen a dramatic increase in the number of children in crisis ‘stuck’ living in the state’s hospital systems without a discharge plan. Last night, the Washington House of Representatives passed House Bill 1580, introduced by State Rep. Lisa Callan (Issaquah), to get these children and their families the support they desperately need.
“Whether it’s for a broken bone, a mysterious pain in our chest, or a severe allergic reaction, the hospital is the first place we go to get the treatment we need. This is often true for our young people in behavioral & mental crises, too,” said Callan. “But some of those children are finding themselves ‘stuck’ living in our hospitals for days, months or even a year without a discharge plan. Hospitals are not homes.”
Finding the right care for children in crisis can be challenging and complex, and some young people need continued access to care even when hospitalization is no longer required. But for families that cannot provide that additional support, and there are no other placement options, some young people remain in the hospital even if they lack access to needed services.
HB 1580 would establish a new Children & Youth Multisystem Care Coordinator within the executive branch to serve as a state lead on addressing complex cases of children in crisis in Washington’s hospital systems. The Care Coordinator would be responsible for pulling together a multiagency response and Rapid Care Team to identify appropriate services and living arrangements for these children, their families, and their unique needs.
“I hope my colleagues in the Senate will take up this bill and send it to the governor’s desk as quickly as possible,” said Callan. “Because these children will still be waiting in our hospitals until he signs it.”
Callan, who serves as Co-Chair of the Children & Youth Behavioral Health Workgroup, has also submitted several budget requests this session to increase the behavioral health workforce and services for children. The bill passed the House unanimously and now moves to the Senate for further consideration. Callan’s floor remarks can be viewed here.
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