DCHS crisis services are available 24/7
King County voters approved the Crisis Care Centers Levy in 2023. The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) initiative is making it easier for everyone in King County to get the specialized care they need in a moment of crisis, which includes having the 988 crisis line to call or text, trained crisis teams to respond in-person, a network of five Crisis Care Centers to go, and post-crisis teams to follow up.
The first Crisis Care Center, Connections Kirkland, is now open. The next Crisis Care Center will open in Seattle, and future centers in the South and East King County, as well as a dedicated center for youth will open in the coming years.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we want everyone in King County to know that we have more places open for people to get mental health care, more teams ready to respond in-person, and more capacity for routine appointments and support,” said Dr. Susan McLaughlin, Director, DCHS. “This recent progress transforming our behavioral health care system wouldn’t be possible without the steadfast work and dedication of our Behavioral Health and Recovery Division, the Crisis Care Centers Levy team, and all our community partners.”
Anyone in King County, including youth, can walk into any Crisis Care Center for urgent mental health and substance use care. Young people who need a higher level of care will be transferred to the youth Crisis Care Center for treatment once it opens.
The Crisis Care Centers initiative is also investing to expand existing crisis services, including 988 and crisis response teams, create more longer-term residential treatment capacity and strengthen the community behavioral health workforce.
Click below to meet the providers and teams who are available 24/7 and learn about the early progress King County has made expanding local crisis services.
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