Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (CYBHWG)

The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (CYBHWG) provides recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature to improve behavioral health services and strategies for children, youth, young adults, and their families. The group includes legislators, state agencies, health care providers, tribal governments, community behavioral health services, advocates, and other organizations, as well as youth and young people who have received services and parents of children and youth who have received services.

On this page

Spread the word!

Please share this important work with others in your networks and community. If you’d like more information, email us at CYBHWG.

Vision and mission

Vision

All Washington children, youth and young adults, and their families are thriving.

Mission

The CYBHWG identifies barriers and creates opportunities for equitable, high-quality behavioral health care for children, youth and young adults, and their families. Through collaboration with those receiving, delivering, and funding services, we work to ensure that every child, youth, and family can access the care and support they need, when and where they need it.

The CYBHWG works to ensure behavioral health services are:

  • Accessible, affordable, and effective
  • Timely, engaging, and culturally relevant
  • Gender-affirming and evidence-based
  • Coordinated across sectors and tailored to community needs
  • Integrated into whole-person care
  • Sustainable, well-funded, and designed to improve outcomes

Co-chairs, members, and participation

To make it easier to participate

  • Most parents and young people are eligible for payment for attending work group meetings.
  • Parents and young people may receive payment to cover child and elder care expenses.
  • Travel expenses for in-person meetings are covered.
  • Translation and interpreter services are available, if arranged in advance.

Subgroups

The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (CYBHWG) has five subgroups working in these areas.

Behavioral health integration

The Behavioral health integration (BHI) subgroup is currently focused on improving behavioral health integration in primary care. This subgroup is open to anyone that would like to join.

View the Behavioral Health Integration meeting schedule and join an upcoming meeting.

Prenatal to age five relational health

The Prenatal thorough five relational health (P5RH) subgroup focuses on meeting the urgent needs of children ages 0-5 and their families. This group is open to all that would like to participate.

View the Prenatal to age 5 relational health meeting schedule and join an upcoming meeting.

Washington Thriving advisory group, formerly Strategic Plan advisory group

The Washington Thriving Strategic Plan advisory group, formerly the Strategic Plan advisory group, provides oversight for the development of a statewide strategic plan to improve behavioral health services for children, youth, young adults, and their families from the prenatal stage through age 25.

School-based behavioral health and suicide prevention

The School-based Behavioral Health and Suicide Prevention (SBBHSP) subgroup targets its efforts on increasing access to behavioral health services and supports for students and their families. This subgroup has appointed members but is open to the public with a public comment period.

Leads:

View the School-based behavioral health and suicide prevention meeting schedule and join an upcoming meeting.

Youth and young adult continuum of care

The Youth and Young Adult Continuum of Care (YYACC) subgroup looks at mental health and substance use treatment services across the continuum of care and explores the unique needs of youth and young adults. This subgroup is open to anyone that would like to participate.

Quad leads:

View the Youth and young adult continuum of care meeting schedule and join an upcoming meeting.

Workforce and rates

The Workforce & Rates (W&R) subgroup concentrates their efforts on identifying behavioral health workforce initiatives to improve access to services. This subgroup is open to anyone that wants to participate.

Leads:

View the Workforce and rates meeting schedule and join an upcoming meeting.

Legislative reports, recommendations, and resulting legislation

2025
2024
2023
2022

Background

The Children’s Behavioral Health Work Group was created by the Legislature in 2016 to improve behavioral health services for children and youth. Initially established for one year, it was reauthorized in 2018, 2020, 2022, and again in 2024.

(Page updated March 3, 2025)

Contact

Email: Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (CYBHWG)