“The mission of the Mental Health Division is to promote recovery and safety.”

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

General Mental Health Services Questions:

What is the Mental Health Program?
What services are offered through the Mental Health Program?
Who qualifies for Mental Health Services through the RSN?
How do I get help for mental illness?
What if I don't agree with a decision about receiving Mental Health Services through the RSN?
How can I find out more about Mental Health Services?
Who is eligible for public mental health services?
What services are available?
Who provides services?
What choices do I have?
What if I need crisis services?
How can I get outpatient services?
What if I needed to be in the hospital for my mental illness?
What if I get a bill?
As a person receiving public mental health services, what are my rights?
What is a mental health advance directive?
How do I complete a mental health advance directive?
Does my provider have to follow what I say?
What is a complaint?
What does an Ombuds do?
What is a grievance?
What is an action?
What is an appeal?
What is an Administrative or Fair Hearing?
What are the responsibilities of the Mental Health Ombuds?
Does mental health treatment work?
What is Wraparound or Individualized and Tailored Care (ITC)?
What is family-centered care?
What is the difference between a psychiatrist, psychologist, and MSW?
What is a County Designated Mental Health Professional (CDMHP)?
Can parents access their adolescent's mental health records without his or her consent if the adolescent is over thirteen years of age?
What is parent support?
Where do I get more information and assistance regarding treatment resources?
I am having a problem with my connection to the Mental Health Division Intranet Web Site?

Western State Hospital Questions:

What is Western State Hospital (WSH)?
What services are offered at Western State Hospital?
Who qualifies for hospitalization at Western State Hospital?
How can someone be referred for services at Western State Hospital?
What if I don't agree with a decision about receiving care at Western State Hospital?
How can I find out more about Western State Hospital?
What are Hospital Patient Rights?
What is the history of Western State Hospital?
Where is Western State Hospital located?
How many patients are served by Western State Hospital?
How can I find out who is buried in the patient cemetery?
When can I visit a patient in the hospital?
How can I contact a patient in the hospital?
What happens when someone is admitted to Western State Hospital?
Will I have to pay for the cost of my care at the state hospital?
What are patient confidentiality laws?

Eastern State Hospital

What is Eastern State Hospital (ESH)?
Who qualifies for hospitalization at Eastern State Hospital?
How can someone be referred for services at Eastern State Hospital?
What if I don't agree with a decision about receiving care at Eastern State Hospital?
How can I find out more about Eastern State Hospital?
What are Hospital Patient Rights?
Where is Eastern State Hospital Located?
How many patients are served by Eastern State Hospital?
How can I find out who is buried in the patient cemetery?
When can I visit a patient in the hospital?
How can I contact a patient in the hospital?
What happens when someone is admitted to Eastern State Hospital?
Will I have to pay for the cost of my care at the state hospital?
What are patient confidentiality laws?

Child Study and Treatment Center Questions:

What is the Child Study and Treatment Center (CSTC)?
What services are offered through Child Study and Treatment Center?
Who qualifies for services through the Child Study and Treatment Center?
How is a child admitted to the Child Study and Treatment Center?
What if I don't agree with a decision about receiving mental health services for my child through the CSTC?
How can I find out more about the Child Study and Treatment Center?
What is a CLIP referral?
Where is the Child Study and Treatment Center located?
Will my child be able to continue school while admitted to the Child Study and Treatment Center?

Children's Outpatient Services Questions:

How do I access mental health treatment through the publicly funded system for my child or adolescent?
What is a mental health assessment?
What is outpatient mental health treatment as provided by the public mental health system?
What is the age of consent for outpatient treatment?
Can a parent take a minor to a community mental health agency for an assessment without the consent of the minor?
Should my child or adolescent enter mental health treatment without my consent, what assurances do I have as a parent that he or she is seeing someone who has been trained to treat the concerns that my child is voicing?
If my child over thirteen is in treatment and believes his or her rights as a consumer has been violated, whom does my child contact?
If I feel that the rights of my child over thirteen have been violated, can I file a complaint with the Ombuds? What are my other options?
If my child has a substance abuse problem and mental health issues, can one treatment center help my child with both?
What is a crisis triage?
If my child engages in treatment without my consent, am I financially liable?

Children's Inpatient Services

What is acute psychiatric inpatient treatment?
What is long-term inpatient mental health treatment?
What is required to meet the condition of "medical necessity" for inpatient mental health treatment?
Who can give consent for minors to be admitted to acute or long-term inpatient care?
Can a parent take a minor to an inpatient mental health treatment facility for an assessment without the consent of the minor?
What if a parent is unable to bring a minor child to a mental health treatment facility due to severe behavior problems?
If my adolescent is involuntarily detained and I am not in agreement, what are my options?
How can minors admit themselves to inpatient mental health treatment?
What notification responsibilities does the treatment facility have when an adolescent admits him or herself to the facility without the consent of the parent?
Can someone from another system refer a minor for mental health inpatient treatment?
Can youths sign themselves out from an inpatient mental health facility without the consent of their parents?
Do youth sometimes run away from inpatient mental health treatment facilities?
Is there financial assistance to help pay for inpatient mental health treatment?
Is there financial assistance to help with the transportation of a youth to an inpatient residential treatment facility?
Are there waiting lists for inpatient treatment?
If my adolescent is in inpatient treatment and feels that his/her rights have been violated, whom can they contact?
What is a Less Restrictive Alternative (LRA)?
Can a minor in inpatient treatment be sent to a juvenile detention center because of destructive or assaultive behaviors?

Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF files and you can download it for free. If you do not have an application that can display Microsoft Word documents (.doc), you can download a free Word Viewer.

For more ways to get in touch with the Department of Mental Health Services, go to the DSHS Contact Information Web page. Mental Health Related Questions Contact: