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As May comes to a close, we are highlighting timely insights and practical resources that support infants, new parents, children, youth, young adults, and families across Washington. This issue reflects shared work happening across systems to strengthen prevention, improve early connection to care, and support well-being through informed, responsive approaches.
This month’s newsletter includes a focus on Mental Health Awareness Month and the role of third places, the everyday community spaces where connection and belonging support mental wellbeing. You will also find tools and planning resources from Mental Health America and SAMHSA to support local outreach and awareness efforts.
In addition, we’re sharing updates that support practical work on the ground, including a newly updated Behavioral Health Treatment Needs and Outcomes dashboard an upcoming guided webinar to support interpretation and use. This issue also includes new content on navigating privacy laws in addiction treatment, a spotlight on Maddie’s Place and family-centered neonatal abstinence syndrome supports, and continued resources for Family Initiated Treatment (FIT) and Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS).
As always, thank you for the leadership and partnership that helps keep youth and families at the center of our systems of care.
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Across Washington, communities are creating spaces where connection, belonging, and well-being happen every day. These spaces, often called third places, exist outside of home, work, or school and play an important role in supporting mental health. The state’s strategic plan for prenatal through age 25 behavioral health, called Washington Thriving, also acknowledges the importance of “Third Places” throughout our state.
A third place can be many things: a community gathering space, a gym, a recovery café, a cultural event, or even a local mall. What these spaces share is the opportunity to connect, with other people, with community, and with a sense of belonging.
During Mental Health Awareness Month, the Prenatal through age25 behavioral health team invited partners and community members to share examples of third places across the state. Submissions highlighted a wide range of environments that support connection in different ways.
At Crossroads Bellevue Mall, community members described a space where people can engage at their own comfort level, whether that is sharing a meal, listening to music, or simply being around others. At the YMCA, individuals shared how consistent routines and small moments of encouragement can build friendships and support systems over time. At Gabriel’s Challenge Community Coalition, a welcoming, non-clinical space in the Northtown Mall (Spokane) allows people to connect at their own pace, and for many, it becomes a first step toward recovery and support.
These examples reinforce an important message: mental health is shaped not only by services, but also by relationships, environments, and community. Connection is a protective factor. When people feel seen, supported, and part of something, it strengthens resilience and overall well-being.
This is an ongoing effort, and we will continue collecting and sharing third places beyond May. If your community has a third place you would like to lift up, we invite providers, partners, youth, and families to keep sharing your third spaces, if your submission is not featured right away, we will be sharing what comes in on our social channels, and with the Washington Thriving Implementation team.
Want to see more spotlights? Follow along on our social channels, where we will continue sharing third places over time.
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The planning guide is designed for community organizations, workplaces, educators, and advocacy partners. It includes:
- Outreach and engagement ideas that spark conversation and connection.
- DIY tools, templates, printable materials, and social media assets to support Mental Health Month efforts throughout May.
- Ready‑to‑use communication resources, including email and newsletter content, plus talking points to streamline messaging.
- Guidance on collaborating with MHA to extend reach and increase impact.
These materials can help us strengthen our own ongoing Mental Health Month efforts and develop meaningful activities for our community and internal partners beyond May.
Each May, SAMHSA shares resources to raise awareness and support communities. Their one-stop toolkit includes weekly key messages, customizable social media content and graphics, stigma-reduction messaging, and best practices for talking about mental health.
June 23 | 10 to 11 a.m.
A newly updated Behavioral Health Treatment Needs and Outcomes dashboard is now available. The dashboard provides a snapshot of the behavioral needs, characteristics and outcomes of children, youth and young adults enrolled in Apple Health. This expanded view supports a more complete understanding across the continuum and includes young adults for the first time. To support practical use, we’re hosting a guided webinar to walk through how to navigate and apply the dashboard.
June 16, 23 & 30 | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Clinical DC:0–5™ training is designed to support mental health professionals in developing in-depth knowledge of the approach and content of DC:0-5™, understanding the multi-axial system, and utilizing the approach and system in their work with children from birth through age five.
June 11 | 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The ASQ and ASQ: Social-Emotional are family-centered developmental screening tools that provide a snapshot of developmental progress in early childhood. Participants will deepen their understanding of how developmental screening supports early identification of challenges; learn how to use, score, and interpret ASQ/ASQ:SE screenings; and explore strategies for engaging with children and families.
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While the goal of the HIPPA Privacy Rule is to protect the health care information of a patient, many families and caretakers find it to be a barrier in understanding their young person’s behavioral health care. For individuals receiving treatment specifically for their Substance Use Disorder (SUD), confidentiality laws called 42 CFR Par 2 protect these health records even further.
Washington’s age of consent for behavioral health services (e.g. mental health, substance use) is 13 years old. This means that young people have permission to access services on their own and limit family and caregiver involvement in their treatment. Navigating the confidentiality laws that pertain to your loved one’s care can be confusing and exhausting. However, there are several ways to be involved in your young person’s treatment, even if they have not consented to sharing information with you. This video provides information to parents and caregivers on how to remain engaged while adhering to the laws of privacy.
Family Initiated Treatment (FIT) is a pathway that helps youth, families, and caregivers take action when they are concerned about a youth or young adult’s behavioral health. FIT is designed to reduce barriers to getting started by centering family voice, supporting timely connection to services, and helping families understand next steps when they are unsure where to begin.
If you work with youth, young adults, and families, FIT can be a helpful option to share when a family is seeking support, needs guidance navigating the system, or is asking how to access services. HCA also offers provider and partner information to support referrals and coordination.
Learn more:
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We know that mental health challenges often begin to emerge in adolescence. They show up even as small changes in mood, sleep, behavior, or connection to others. It's important for families, schools, and communities to recognize these signs early and respond with care, so young people get help to stay connected to support and experience better long-term outcomes.
Grounded in national best practices, Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) is a key part of Washington’s approach to help young people early on, by bringing timely, community-based support directly to children, youth, families and caregivers – wherever they are. MRSS recognizes that a person asking for help defines what a crisis is in their life and doesn’t need to wait for a situation to escalate before they can get support. MRSS teams provide an immediate response, de-escalation, and short-term stabilization. They help individuals look at what’s changing and build skills and connections that reduce stress or future risks.
Early, accessible, and family-centered interventions can prevent deeper system involvement and improve well-being. By investing in models like MRSS, Washington is working to strengthen our communities’ ability to respond early and support youth to thrive.
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Maddie’s Place is a pediatric transitional care facility in Spokane, Washington, and a standing recovery nursery for infants experiencing withdrawal due to prenatal substance exposure. Maddie’s Place provides high-quality, holistic, multidisciplinary medical and non-medical care for infants with prenatal substance exposure, including neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), along with wraparound support for parents and caregivers. This comprehensive model helps infants safely move through withdrawal, supports early bonding whenever possible, and strengthens families through hope, stability, and connection to early supports.
Health Care Authority’s (HCA) Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery is pleased to share that they will manage the contract for Maddie’s Place in alignment with legislation passed in 2025 (Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5167). This legislation directs HCA to contract for the continued operations of the pilot program originally funded in 2023 (ESSB 5187).
Maddie’s Place is currently the only pediatric transitional care facility in Washington providing this level of NAS support. The pilot was evaluated from July 2023 through August 2024, with a focus on infant and maternal health outcomes.
“It’s… a bridge after the hospital and then to the next big part of life with you and the baby.” – Parent who received services at Maddie’s Place
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