NEWS GLEAMS | King County Expands Mobile Crisis Care Teams; Affordable Care Act Open for DACA Recipients

Going into effect on Monday, Dec. 2, King County will be expanding its mobile crisis care teams to help speed up response time to serve those in need. The hope is that two-person teams — consisting of mental health professionals, mental health care providers, and certified peer counselors — may be able to lessen response times to less than two hours, no matter where in the county they are responding.

The program is funded by a $1.25 billion dollar levy that was approved by voters in 2023. The levy also funded the creation of walk-in crisis clinics and will expand the mobile crisis care teams from 10 teams to 27.

It will also consolidate various hotlines and response teams into a more streamlined system that uses 988, which is the national suicide and crisis helpline. After residents call 988, they will be routed to the nonprofit organization Crisis Connections, which manages the crisis hotline for King County. The Crisis Connections staff will then make decisions around the type of crisis response that is necessary and whether an appropriate crisis response team should be dispatched.

"The clinician will look for criteria including suicidal or homicidal ideation, self-harm, history of hospitalization, signs of psychosis or lack of basic functioning," The Seattle Times reported, of the causes that might lead a Crisis Connections staff member to make a referral to dispatch a crisis team.

Callers then must opt in and agree with the crisis team in order for the team to be sent, as the program is a voluntary service. For cases that Crisis Connections staff deem a risk to safety — including those that involve domestic violence or homicidal ideation — law enforcement may be contacted instead.

Because of new policies under the Biden-Harris administration, Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage is now available for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.

ACA allows affordable health care benefits and coverage for low and subsidized rates for those who are eligible. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) estimates that around 100,000 previously uninsured DACA recipients may receive health care through the program.

Washington State leads much of the rest of the country, as Washington State's passage of Section 1332 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2022 already expanded health insurance access to undocumented immigrants in the state.

Enrollment is open until Jan. 15, and the Biden-Harris administration says it will not affect the immigration status of those who apply. Assistance is available via online call centers for those who are in need of additional support.

To receive coverage by Jan. 1, one must sign up for health care through ACA by Dec. 15. Any changes or signups made between Dec. 16 and Jan. 15 begin their coverage on Feb. 1.

Join Young Women Empowered (Y-WE) as it hosts an outdoor bird count along the Duwamish River. The walking event begins at sbəq̓ʷaʔ Park and Shoreline Habitat (formerly Terminal 108/Diagonal Park), eventually ending at the West Seattle Bridge.

Shuttles are available for transport from Columbia City, or participants can meet Y-WE directly at the park. Food will be provided, including warm drinks, cold lunch, and plenty of snacks, followed by a soup party in Wedgewood after the event ends.

The bird count takes place on Sunday, Dec. 15, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Learn more and sign up via the QR code on Y-WE's Instagram or Facebook pages.

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