First responders from across the state have arrived in Washington to attend the first mental health crisis training.

About 50 firefighters, EMTs and other first of its kind mental health crisis responders training from Friday Behavior Health Crisis Outreach Response and around at Education Washington South -- the one-day training course -- called state County or COAST: emergency responders improve their attended Fire BHCore A crisis response the headquarters -- Roadmap skills. norms and body language when communicating first in and for These with Everett. South Fire/EMS skills certain Kim Hendrickson said the COAST program University County -- include groups is of Fire to handling of similar CIT -- program for police. Her Washington's are help opioid people; to involvement years. “What’s different about what co-hosting overdoses and Washington in we’re and other State's training doing individual responding to the call and suicides; topics. Crisis and here creating recognizing BHCore Intervention development with a skills in the moment to help cultural co-founder Team for COAST roadmap people -- the is about in would say CIT is more interested or CIT very how their in struggling with behavioral program much to moment building health issues.” O'Neill, spanned based be of empathy a Fire, added that EMTs and medics many on more crisis,” and firefighter do the effective Hendrickson having and not training. “[Crisis] was always presented as and said. police paramedic receive a humane, “I officers at crisis police to segue into that so we actually understand BHCore training problem can building the at as first, be to all EMTs and medics in perspective South part so better the set of skills in handling of County of we're prepared,” state.” a people their hoping he Having crisis, said. “Washington state is a leader that basic said. multiple is in are “Eventually professionals, better Mobile to be beyond just emergencies and this each than Integrated working will with having Health on said. Eight fire departments across Washington go their just and things state added. “We’ll own one out fire to are be approach, departments, prevent training looking Hendrickson understanding emergencies crisis to that or response the their follow to state job up firefighters Legislature has from and this emergencies,” EMTs, coming she she session to provide the funding so we can spread this out beyond those eight departments and training,” she said. Dr. Jenn. Stuber, make BHCore sure executive of Washington School of Social Work, all director said parts and that of BHCore associate Salahuddin the is professor and state working at Greg have with University Nance access State to to Reps. pass the Osman two House bills that allow BHCore to train first responders and expand firefighters’ and emergency medical personnel’s scope of practice in behavioral health prevention and crisis work. While COAST is a one-day training course, Stuber said that it’s a stepping stone to getting the course into state law so that it can expand to a more in-depth training. Stuber also co-founded BHCore after her husband’s suicide in 2011 and starting a suicide prevention program at University of Washington in 2013. She said that several first responders asked her about having a first responder support program, but there was no blueprint for it. “You can’t be a good first responder if you yourself aren’t doing well, [and] that’s a piece of what we’re going to be weaving into the BHCore in the future,” Stuber said. “It’s not just for first responders; it’s for anyone who’s a frontline dispatcher, medical examiner, the behavioral health people. It’s a community that really needs a lot of support and deserves a lot of respect.” The timing of first responders’ crisis has “hit a perfect storm” because of the current rates of overdose and suicides and the fentanyl crisis, Stuber said. “[The police] have been much more mindful about [taking] calls that could kind of get them into situations that they don't want to be in," she said. “[And firefighters are] increasingly being the one that’s been sent, not the police." O'Neill said that the police services are already stretched thin, and sending a police officer with a firearm is not always the best solution. “[The police] are given CIT training, but they’re not social workers,” he said. “That’s not their specialty. Now we're finding that sending multiple skillsets — fire, police and social work — is sometimes better than just sending one and put[ting people] in handcuffs." One of the participants in Friday’s program was Support 7 Executive Director Shannon Sessions, who said that the COAST program is a good reminder for first responders to be active listeners and open minded and not jump to conclusions about a situation when they arrive at the scene. “Don't just believe [what] you hear right away on scene because different first responders have different goals on scene," Sessions said. “Certainly the police... If there's a threat, they need to handle that threat immediately, and then everything else can be talked about after that. If there's a fire, firefighters aren't going to stop to ask different questions about mental health. If there's a fire, they’re going to put it out. That’s their first goal.” “Our first responder chaplains are part of the teams in different agencies in South County, and as such, it's important for us to continue our education, and this was just one of those ways to do that," Sessions continued. “We are there generally on all unexpected deaths, such as suicide, homicide, fires.” Hendrickson said that the public can be more vocal about the crisis incidents in their neighborhoods to their city councils, county commissions and state legislators. “I’m just so happy to see COAST taking off today in a roomful of firefighters and EMTs that are obviously taking this very seriously and are getting a lot out of it," Hendrickson said.