Bill aiming to support children 'stuck' in Washington hospitals passes through House
OLYMPIA, Wash. (KOMO) — Most people hope any trip to the emergency room will be a short stay.
But according to a Washington state lawmaker, many emergency rooms and hospitals are where young people in crisis become stuck.
They’re there because of anxiety, depression, self-harm,” said Rep. Lisa Callan, a Democrat representing Washington’s 5th District.
Callan said some young people are stuck in hospitals and emergency rooms because they are unable to get connected to the kind of help they need.
They end up being there for days, weeks and even over a year,” explained Callan.
But House Bill 1580, which just passed through the chamber unanimously, aims to get kids out of this cycle.
The bill would create a new Children & Youth Multisystem Care Coordinator who would be responsible for a multiagency response and Rapid Care Team to find the right care and living arrangements for children in crisis.
Finding a path to discharge from the hospital into the services and care that they need, not only for the child but also for the family,” explained Callan.
The measure would not only help children and teenagers get the care they need but also help take some of the stress off the state’s hospital system.
The legislation now moves on to the senate.
