Community-Based Behavioral Health Programs in Washington

Last updated on November 6th, 2026 at 09:37 pm

You don’t have to be in crisis to receive support. Maybe your adult son just came home from a hospital stay, or your mom’s mental health is starting to slip in her adult family home. Or you need help yourself, and the word “facility” sounds cold and overwhelming.

Community behavioral health programs in Washington bring mental health and substance use care out of the hospital and into your home, a local clinic, or a residential setting like an adult family home.

What Community Behavioral Health Programs Are Available in Washington?

Washington has programs for the levels of care that fall between “doing fine” and “hospital stay.” Most are covered by Apple Health, Washington’s Medicaid program.

These are the main options available in Washington.

Source: Washington State Health Care Authority, Behavioral Health Services Inventory (May 2025).

Sunrise Services offers outpatient behavioral health care in the North Sound region at five clinics. You’ll find us in Everett, Mountlake Terrace, Mount Vernon, Bellingham, and Oak Harbor. Services include individual and group therapy, case management, substance use disorder treatment, and medication management.

How Community Behavioral Health Programs Reduce Hospitalization and Improve Outcomes

While hospitals are built for emergencies, recovery usually happens everywhere else. Community programs put care close to the people who need it. A case manager or peer specialist who sees someone every week can spot warning signs early. Consistent, early contact can mean a medication adjustment instead of an ER visit.

Community programs also help with the first weeks home after a hospital stay. Support teams help clients keep appointments and medications on track while they settle back into daily routines.

According to HHS, a peer-staffed crisis program in Pierce County, Washington, cut psychiatric admissions by 32.3%. Readmissions fell 26.5% over three years. In a randomized study published through NIH, participants in a Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) were about 40% less likely to be hospitalized.

What Is CBHS in Washington?

Community Behavioral Health Support (CBHS) is an Apple Health benefit that began July 1, 2024. It helps adults with significant mental health needs stay in a residential community setting instead of returning to the hospital.

CBHS covers supportive supervision services: voluntary, one-on-one, in-person support from the residential provider. Staff may monitor, redirect, or cue a resident to head off risky behavior, and help them build skills.

CBHS is available in adult family homes, assisted living facilities, enhanced services facilities, and other licensed residential settings. To qualify, a person generally must:

• Be 18 or older and eligible for Apple Health
• Be eligible for Home and Community Services (HCS) through the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
• Have a qualifying mental health diagnosis
• Have behaviors in the past year that required extra staffing plus a history of difficulty living in the community

Sunrise’s Expanded Community Services behavior support team works to prevent hospital readmission for people living in adult family homes. The team serves Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, and Island Counties, with help available nights and weekends.

How to Access CBHS and Community Behavioral Health Services Through Apple Health

Follow these steps in order. Most people can start with step #1 or step #2 today.

1. Confirm Apple Health coverage. Apply or check your status at wahealthplanfinder.org. If you already have Apple Health, you have mental health coverage.
2. Request an intake evaluation. Call a licensed behavioral health agency. You do not need a referral for an intake evaluation.
3. Ask your managed care plan about intensive programs. Call the number on the back of your plan card. Ask about PACT, peer support, or WISe.
4. For CBHS, contact the HCS case manager. The DSHS case manager completes a CARE assessment and submits the referral. Processing can take up to 10 business days.
5. In a crisis, call right away. Dial or text 988, or call the North Sound Regional Crisis Line at 1-800-584-3578.

Sunrise accepts Apple Health managed care plans from Coordinated Care, Community Health Plan of Washington, Molina Healthcare, UnitedHealthcare, and Wellpoint. We also accept Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and many commercial plans.

If your loved one has more than one chronic condition, ask about our Health Home care coordination. Care coordinators help plan transitions after hospital stays and connect families to community support.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a community behavioral health program?

A community behavioral health program delivers mental health or substance use care where a person lives. Many of these programs exist to keep people out of the hospital. Examples include outpatient therapy, peer support, PACT teams, mobile crisis teams, and supportive supervision.

Does Apple Health cover community behavioral health services?

Yes. Apple Health covers mental health and substance use services, including many community-based programs. Coverage for specific intensive services depends on eligibility and your managed care plan.

Do I need a referral to start behavioral health services in Washington?

No. You can request an intake evaluation directly from a licensed behavioral health agency. The intake helps the provider understand your needs and build a treatment plan with you.

Who qualifies for CBHS in Washington?

CBHS is for adults 18 and older who are eligible for Apple Health and Home and Community Services. They also must have a qualifying mental health diagnosis and meet risk criteria. Eligibility is determined through a DSHS CARE assessment.

Can community programs help after a psychiatric hospital stay?

Yes. Care coordination, peer support, behavior support teams, and CBHS all help people move from the hospital back to the community. Their shared goal is preventing a return to the hospital.

Getting Started With Sunrise

Sunrise is accepting new behavioral health clients at all five North Sound clinics, and you don’t need a referral to request an intake.

Schedule an intake at a Sunrise behavioral health clinic near you.

Want to see every pathway into care first? Read How to Access Behavioral Healthcare in Washington State to compare your options, from insurance to intake.

If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text 988. You can also call the North Sound Regional Crisis Line at 1-800-584-3578, available 24/7.