Family initiated treatment (FIT)
As a parent or family member, FIT is a way for you, and/or your youth to seek out behavioral health treatment. Families and parents can also choose to admit their youth to a more intensive, long-term inpatient program. In Washington, this program is known as the Children’s Long-term Inpatient Program, or CLIP.
Note: As long as providers have the capacity and skill, they must treat the youth, even if the youth refuses care. Providers can only admit an adolescent to treatment if it is medically necessary. (See RCW 71.34.600 for details.)
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Families can take training to understand what FIT is and how to navigate the system.
How can FIT help youth?
FIT can provide parents a way to access services when they feel a youth may need behavioral health treatment (mental health or substance use). FIT providers engage youth in a manner that shows them the benefits of treatment so they are willing to provide their consent.
Who is eligible for FIT?
Parents, as defined in RCW 71.34.020, can request assessment for treatment for their youth ages 13-17. Some youth can also request treatment for themselves, called adolescent initiated treatment (AIT).
What is FIT?
- A way for youth and/or their parents to seek out behavioral health treatment.
- An option to access medically necessary outpatient, inpatient, and residential services with regular reviews.
- An opportunity for providers to meet youth where they are and to engage them in treatment.
What is not FIT?
- FIT does not guarantee immediate access to behavioral health treatment services.
- Services cannot continue beyond medical necessity.
- FIT does not supersede federal substance use disorder laws.
- Each provider’s intake and assessment process may be different.
Types of FIT treatment services
Families may request that a mental health evaluation or substance use disorder assessment be conducted by a professional to determine whether the adolescent has a mental health or substance use disorder and needs inpatient or outpatient treatment.
The professional may recommend the youth needs outpatient or inpatient treatment through FIT. Parents and families can learn more about these treatment options in the parent’s guide to FIT.
Outpatient treatment services
If a professional determines it is medically necessary, outpatient treatment services may be accessed through FIT.
Inpatient treatment services
Medically necessary inpatient treatment services can be accessed through the Family-Initiated Treatment (FIT) program. Families can request that their youth be admitted for treatment. However, youth admitted to inpatient facilities under FIT must be released immediately upon the written request of the parent.
Residential inpatient process
For adolescents receiving treatment within a residential treatment facility and are not released by a court, they may remain in a residential treatment facility so long as it continues to be a medical necessity for the adolescent to receive such treatment (RCW 71.34.630(2)).
Adolescent initiated treatment (AIT)
While FIT is treatment initiated by the family of youth, youth ages 13-17 may request an evaluation for outpatient or inpatient mental health or substance use disorder treatment without parental consent (RCW 71.34.500 – 530).
If it is determined that they meet the medical necessity for the level of treatment requested, the youth may be offered and allowed to consent for their own services.
For a minor under the age of 13, either parental consent or consent from an approved guardian is required for services.
Any youth seeking services under AIT may choose to end or leave services on their own at any time.
FIT and consent
Under FIT, parents can provide consent on behalf of youth and consent from the youth is not required. The youth would have to meet medical necessity before treatment can be initiated. The FIT process creates an additional access point and does not guarantee care on demand. Providers will have individual processes and requirements for their admission process.
Learn about behavioral health treatment options (updated July 2023).
Disclosure and confidentiality
It is important for youth to feel safe sharing private information with their providers. Mental health providers are allowed to communicate some youth treatment information to parents, if the provider believes that sharing this information would benefit the treatment process. This includes sharing information through Family Initiated Treatment (FIT).
Read the mental health service disclosure guide to learn about the process to share information and what information can be shared (updated November 2021).
Page last updated: June, 2024