About Washington Thriving

About Us

Washington Thriving is a legislatively mandated, statewide effort to ensure every young person—from before birth to age 25—and their caregivers have access to equitable behavioral health education, prevention, treatment, crisis response, and ongoing support for well-being.

The Washington Thriving Strategic Plan

The Plan aims to transform how Washington approaches behavioral health for its youngest residents. The Plan intends to build a statewide behavioral health system where thriving is the norm and fewer young people experience crises and unmet behavioral health needs; where access to care is equitable regardless of location or background, service capacity meets the full spectrum of needs, and the vital conditions for health and well-being are strengthened for all.

A circle with baby feet swaddled in a blanket overlaps another circle showing four smiling teenagers of mixed races taking a selfie

What Is Behavioral Health?

Washington Thriving has developed a clear and accessible definition of behavioral health, informed by community. This definition reduces stigma and recognizes that good behavioral health is a positive state of well-being, and as important as physical health.

Behavioral health involves the interaction between a person’s body, brain, and the people and places around them, and includes the feelings and actions that affect their overall well-being.

A person’s behavioral health is influenced by social, developmental, physical, and psychological factors. Behavioral health challenges include mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, substance use disorder (SUD), severe mental illness, and the co-occurrence of these with other factors such as intellectual and developmental disabilities and trauma.

Behavioral health challenges can:

Affect school, home, and relationships

Young people may have trouble focusing, completing work, or connecting with peers and caregivers.

Show up differently at different ages

Early signs are easy to miss, especially when they look like typical behavior in toddlers or teens.

Escalate without support

Without timely services, challenges can become crises that are harder and more expensive to address.

Impact the whole family

Caregivers often carry a heavy load navigating systems, schools, and benefits.

Appear invisible in data

Many young people never get counted because they do not meet strict diagnostic or eligibility criteria.

Look different across communities

Expressions of distress vary by culture, language, and identity so services must respond accordingly.

Lead to long term impacts

Unaddressed challenges early in life can reshape health, learning, and social outcomes for years.

Require everyone’s awareness

Promoting wellness and reducing stigma depend on coordinated action across families, schools, and communities.

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What Is Washington’s Behavioral Health System?

Washington’s behavioral health system includes everyone and everything that helps support the behavioral health and well-being of young people and their families, as well as where and how services are provided. This includes those seeking and receiving care, those providing care, and those who pay for and manage programs and services.

Who the Strategic Plan Will Serve

Prenatal & infants

Maternal behavioral health, parent–infant bonding and relational health, early screening.

Early childhood

Family supports and social–emotional care in home and preschool.

School-age children

Skill-building, counseling, and supports in school and community.

Youth & young adults up to 25

Transition-aged services, housing & employment supports, substance use care.

Equity & Cultural Responsiveness

Equitable by Design. Responsive in Practice.

We partner with communities who experience health inequities to ensure services are culturally and linguistically responsive—so every young person and family can access what they need, when and where they need it.

  • Center caregivers, families, and young people across the care continuum and across the state.
  • Provide language access and culturally attuned supports at home, in schools, and in community.
  • Use data to surface inequities and drive real-time improvement.
Implementation principles Where we’ll start

Washington Thriving Contributors

  • Young people
  • Caregivers
  • Providers
  • Community leaders
  • State agencies
  • Young people
  • Caregivers
  • Providers
  • Community leaders
  • State agencies

The Washington Thriving Strategic Plan was co-created by young people, caregivers, providers, and community leaders, alongside partners in state government, and this collaboration is just the beginning. The work to center the voices of young people, families, and communities is ongoing, and the process of shaping the system will continue to deepen as we move forward.