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SB 5853

Extending the crisis relief center model to provide behavioral health crisis services for minors.

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Manka Dhingra and 14 co-sponsors

Expands 23-hour crisis relief centers to serve minors (8+) with child-specific facilities and 24/7 pediatric teams, enabling short-stay crisis care outside hospitals.

Effective date 6/6/2024**.
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Bill Summary · SB 5853

Summary — SB 5853 (Chapter 367, 2024 Laws)

Effective date: June 6, 2024
Introduced: December 15, 2023 — Governor signed March 29, 2024

Purpose / Intent

SB 5853 extends Washington’s 23‑hour “crisis relief center” model (established in 2023 for adults) to allow centers to provide short‑term behavioral health crisis services to minors. The bill also aligns statutory definitions of “mental health professional” used in provisions for minors with the definition adopted for adults.

Key provisions

  • Authorizes 23‑hour crisis relief centers to serve children (non‑adult clients) while prohibiting treatment of adults and children in the same treatment area.
  • Requires the Department of Health (DOH), in consultation with the Health Care Authority (HCA) and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), to adopt licensure/certification rules and standards for centers serving children. DOH must solicit stakeholder input during rulemaking. (A specific rulemaking deadline appears in committee reports as March 31, 2025.)
  • Adds programmatic and facility requirements for centers treating children, in addition to existing crisis relief center standards:
    • No shared spaces or contact between child and adult clients.
    • Facilities must be structured to meet crisis needs of children ages 8 and older and their families.
    • Written policies defining separation by age groups and appropriate practices for different ages.
    • Provide resources to connect children and families to ongoing behavioral health supports.
    • Coordinate with DCYF for children who do not require inpatient care but cannot be discharged home.
    • Address discharge planning for children at risk of dependency, out‑of‑home placement, or homelessness.
    • Staff centers 24/7 with a pediatric multidisciplinary team (including prescribing capability and medication dispensing as appropriate).
  • Aligns the statutory definition of “mental health professional” for treatment of minors with the updated adult definition (including certified/licensed agency‑affiliated counselors and removing DOH rulemaking authority to add professions).
  • Continues core crisis relief center features: open 24/7, accepts voluntary walk‑ins/drop‑offs and 988 referrals regardless of acuity, limits stays to under 24 hours (with limited exceptions for evaluation/transfer), and coordinates with designated crisis responders.

Who is affected

  • Children (defined as under 18) experiencing behavioral health crises (notably the statute focuses on children age 8 and over for center design).
  • Families and caregivers seeking immediate crisis supports.
  • DOH, HCA, DCYF (rulemaking, oversight, coordination).
  • Crisis relief center operators, behavioral health providers, designated crisis responders, first responders, hospitals, and other referral sources.

Implementation & timeline

  • Bill enacted as Engrossed Second Substitute SB 5853; passed both houses and signed by the Governor (filed as Chapter 367, 2024 Laws).
  • Effective June 6, 2024.
  • DOH must amend licensure/certification rules for child‑serving crisis relief centers in consultation with HCA and DCYF; committee reports identify March 31, 2025 as the rule deadline.

Practical impact

SB 5853 creates a pathway for community‑based, short‑stay crisis services tailored to minors — expanding nonhospital options for youth in behavioral health crisis while establishing child‑specific safety, staffing, and discharge coordination standards.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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