ABOUT THE NORTH SOUND YOUTH NAVIGATOR PROGRAM

The Youth Navigator program was developed because on March 15, 2021, Governor Jay Inslee signed an emergency proclamation recognizing the current mental and behavioral emergency among Washington's children and youth. They recognized that significant behavioral health needs come in many forms, and most do not fit into one neat box. There is not a single system that can fully respond to the multi-complexities a youth and family may be experiencing such as psychiatric boarding in the ER, crisis stabilization, discharge planning, and the challenges that come with stabilizing in a community setting.

Kids Mental Health Washington has partnered with all ten regions across the state who are working to streamline and coordinate youth behavioral health resources. North Sound Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization (NS BH-ASO) is one of those ten partnered regions implementing YNP and facilitating community meetings to aid in finding solutions for complex behavioral health needs by creating and supporting steering committees, action committees, and community agreements to coordinate partners and assets.