SHB 1811
SignedHouse
Crisis co-response
Enhancing crisis response services through co-response integration and support.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill strengthens Washington’s crisis response system by formally defining and supporting co-response teams—combinations of first responders and behavioral health professionals—that respond to mental health and substance use crises. It creates a new peer support program for co-responders, expands legal protections for peer support communications, and makes it easier for frontline workers to claim workers’ compensation for infectious diseases contracted during public health emergencies.
- Defines and legally recognizes 'co-response' as a multidisciplinary partnership between first responders and human services professionals to address behavioral health crises, and sets goals for integrating co-responders into Washington’s crisis care system.
- Creates a new statewide peer support program for co-response professionals, administered by the University of Washington School of Social Work in consultation with the Washington State Health Care Authority, to assist staff after traumatic or life-threatening incidents.
- Expands legal protections for peer supporters by adding a new privilege in the evidence rules (RCW 5.60.060) that prevents peer supporters from being forced to testify about confidential communications made during peer support services—except in limited circumstances (e.g., if the peer supporter was an initial responder or party to the incident).
- Amends RCW 51.32.181 to create a legal presumption that frontline workers (including first responders, corrections staff, health care workers, and others) who contract certain infectious diseases during a declared public health emergency have an occupational disease—making it easier to qualify for workers’ compensation benefits.
- Clarifies definitions in the behavioral health code (RCW 71.24.025), including 'co-response', 'first responder', and 'mobile rapid response crisis team', to improve consistency across state programs and legal frameworks.
Who is affected
- Co-responders and first responders — Co-responders (e.g., law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, social workers, peer support specialists) who respond to behavioral health crises will gain clearer legal recognition of their role, expanded peer support access, and stronger legal protections for confidential communications made during peer support services.
- People in behavioral health crisis — Individuals experiencing behavioral health crises (including those in crisis, experiencing homelessness, or with co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions) will benefit from improved access to non-law enforcement crisis response teams and more appropriate, health-centered interventions.
- Peer support specialists and behavioral health workers — Peer support specialists and other frontline behavioral health workers will gain new legal protections for confidential communications and access to a new statewide peer support program to address trauma from critical incidents.
- Frontline public service and essential workers — Frontline workers in high-exposure settings (e.g., corrections staff, health care workers, first responders, food industry workers) will receive a legal presumption that certain infectious diseases contracted during a public health emergency are work-related, making workers’ compensation claims easier to process.
- State and local government agencies — State and local governments will need to coordinate co-response programs and integrate them into existing crisis systems, potentially requiring new staffing, training, and interagency agreements.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for concerns
Potential Benefits (5)
Clarifies definitions of co-response, first responder, and mobile rapid response crisis team to improve consistency across state programs and legal frameworks, reducing administrative friction.
Local GovernmentRef: Sec. 3 (definitions in RCW 71.24.025)Establishes formal goals for co-response—including de-escalation, diversion from criminal justice, and health-centered interventions—which may improve outcomes but lacks funding or implementation mandates.
Public SafetyRef: Sec. 1 (co-response goals)Assigns administration of the peer support program to the University of Washington School of Social Work, which may leverage academic expertise but introduces uncertainty about scalability and local capacity.
EducationRef: Sec. 2 (peer support program administered by UW)The rebuttable nature of the occupational disease presumption allows employers to contest claims, preserving employer flexibility but potentially undermining the intended ease of access for workers.
Business & EmploymentRef: Sec. 5 (rebuttable presumption for occupational disease)The bill does not specify funding for the peer support program or estimate increased workers’ compensation costs, leaving fiscal impact uncertain and potentially straining state budgets if claims rise significantly.
FinancialRef: Fiscal Impact note (no specific dollar amount provided)
Potential Concerns (5)
Creates a new statewide peer support program for co-responders, which will improve access to trauma-informed mental health support for frontline crisis responders, reducing burnout and improving long-term workforce retention.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 2 (new peer support program at UW School of Social Work)Expands legal protections for peer supporters by adding a new privilege preventing compelled testimony about confidential peer support communications, strengthening trust and encouraging utilization of peer support services without fear of legal exposure.
Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Sec. 3 (expanded peer support privilege under RCW 5.60.060(6))Creates a legal presumption that frontline workers who contract certain infectious diseases during a public health emergency have an occupational disease, significantly easing access to workers’ compensation benefits for high-risk essential workers.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 5 (occupational disease presumption under RCW 51.32.181)Formally defines 'co-response' and clarifies roles of first responders and human services professionals, improving interagency coordination and reducing confusion during crisis interventions.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 3 (definitions in RCW 71.24.025)Explicitly includes certified peer counselors as a best practice in crisis teams, supporting more trauma-informed, health-centered responses to behavioral health crises and reducing reliance on law enforcement for non-criminal situations.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 3 (definition of 'mobile rapid response crisis team' including certified peer counselors as a best practice)
Who Is Most Affected
Co-responders (e.g., law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, social workers, peer specialists) gain clearer legal recognition, expanded peer support access, and stronger confidentiality protections—positive impact.
Individuals in crisis benefit from improved access to health-centered, non-law-enforcement responses—positive impact, though implementation quality will determine real-world outcomes.
Peer support specialists gain new legal protections and access to a formalized support program—positive impact, especially for trauma exposure mitigation.
Frontline essential workers (corrections, health care, food service, transit, education) gain a legal presumption for occupational disease claims during emergencies—positive impact on benefits access, though employers retain rebuttal rights.
State and local agencies face new coordination, staffing, and training requirements—mixed impact: increased administrative burden but potential long-term efficiency gains.