First Responders Trained on Behavioral Health

Jan 30, 2025 - The Behavioral Health Crisis Outreach Response and Education center is a new program of the UW School of Social Work. Their mission is to "reimagine how firefighters, emergency medical providers and others deliver emergency and crisis behavioral health services and to transform how those dedicated responders are recruited, trained and supported." These training programs are intended to help build the alternative response infrastructure that sends mental health professionals to mental health and substance use calls, which have become a large portion of fire departments’ work. Many cities and counties across Washington are currently growing alternative response programs.