Mental Health Resource Hub

Finding Mental Health Care in Washington State: A Class on Where to Start

Class for families of children or youth under 18 and who are not familiar with the mental health system in Washington state.

Class Description

These 30-minute classes are offered in English and Spanish to families who are seeking mental and behavioral health services for children or youth under 18. Parents and caregivers consistently experience barriers in accessing mental and behavioral health care in Washington. We want to empower families to be able to take steps toward connecting to services on their own, knowing that many of the psychiatry services at Seattle Children’s have waitlists. For this reason, the class will focus on resources outside of Seattle Children’s, with the goal of helping families connect to care as quickly as possible. Due to capacity constraints, the psychiatry case managers leading this class will be unable to provide ongoing case management support outside of the class.

In this two-part series, participants will learn about:

  • Part 1: Outpatient Services
    • The various types of outpatient mental health treatment and providers.
    • Locating mental health resources based on insurance coverage — this class will cover resources covered by Medicaid and commercial or private insurance.
    • Ways for caregivers to advocate for their child’s care.
  • Part 2: Higher Levels of Care
    • The various types of intensive services such as intensive outpatient programs, partial hospitalization programs, and residential treatments.
    • How to access these higher intensity levels of care.
    • Ways for caregivers to advocate for their child’s care.

Attendees do not have to take Part 1 in order to take Part 2. Participants are encouraged to enroll in either or both courses depending on their needs.

These classes are offered live with a question and answer session (Q&A) on a secure Zoom virtual platform. Advance registration is required. Recordings of the class, without Q&A, are available in English and Spanish.

Date, Time and Location

These classes are offered the third Wednesday of each month on a rotating basis. Please note the title of the class (Part 1 or Part 2) when you register.
6 to 6:30 p.m. (Pacific time)
Zoom (Read how to use Zoom [Spanish]).

Dates and times of our Spanish class can be seen here.

Cost

This class is free.

Class Details

To register for upcoming dates, click the "registration" below.

Due to limited bandwidth, both the English and Spanish class are not always offered each month.

Additional dates will be added throughout the year.

Registration

Materials to Complete Before and After the Class

Participation in the live class will include completion of a short pre- and post-survey. The survey will ask a few questions about your experience with and knowledge of Washington state mental health services for youth, what county you live in, race/ethnicity identification and your thoughts on the course. The leaders of this class will keep your information confidential, and it will only be used to improve the content and delivery of class material. We encourage you to complete all of the questions.

Below is a recording of the class in English. A version in Spanish will be available soon.

Resources

For a full list of resources and information, visit our Mental Health Resources Hub Page.

We will reference the following Seattle Children’s patient and family education materials during the class:

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Will this class help me get mental or behavioral health services at Seattle Children’s?

    No, this class will focus on resources in Washington state outside of Seattle Children’s. We will not review Seattle Children’s services or referral processes. Visit our Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine services page to learn about seeking services at Seattle Children’s.

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  • Will the case managers be available outside of the course for questions?

    The case managers will not be available for questions that aren’t related to this class.

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  • Will I be able to ask questions during the class?

    Yes, there will be time for questions. The virtual Zoom platform will allow you to ask questions verbally or using the chat.

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  • Can I watch the recorded presentations instead of attending live?

    Yes, but only the live classes will include the questions and answers.

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  • Do multiple family members who wish to attend need to register separately?

    No, participants in the same household may complete one registration if joining on the same device. If members of the same household plan to use different devices, please complete one registration per device.

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  • If a class is full, is there a waitlist?

    Yes. If the waitlist fills up, we try to open more live class times. If you are on the waitlist, you are welcome to view the recording of a previous class while you wait.

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  • Could I take this class more than once?

    Yes, although each class will present the same material with only minor updates as policies or resources change in Washington state.

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