House Bill 1811, sponsored by Rep. Osman Salahuddin, has passed the Senate with unanimous support and is now on the Governor’s desk. The bill introduces a "co-response" model for emergency situations, which involves a partnership between first responders and human services professionals, according to the Washington State House Democrats.
A new bill proposes that teams of trained clinicians, social workers, and peer support specialists respond to mental health and other crises instead of law enforcement or emergency room staff. These teams would provide immediate care and use de-escalation techniques, with training focused on safety and culturally responsive support. Under the bill, team members would be granted privileged communication status and classified as frontline employees, making them eligible for protections under workers' compensation law, as reported by the Washington State House Democrats.
The University of Washington School of Social Work plans to launch a training academy that will offer voluntary certifications for crisis responders starting in January 2026. The program will cover skills such as suicide intervention and coordination with 911 and 988 services. A bill related to the program was amended in the Senate to allow 988-dispatched community-based crisis teams to respond without police when assisting vulnerable individuals. “This legislation ensures people in crisis get the right care, and it gives first responders the tools they need to best serve our communities. It's about making sure the right help arrives at the right time,” Rep. Salahuddin said, as stated by the Washington State House Democrats.
