King County’s Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) today released the second Request for Proposals (RFP) to find a qualified partner to stand up and operate a new Regional Crisis Care Center in King County’s East Crisis Response Zone.
Thanks to the voter-approved Crisis Care Centers Initiative, King County is moving with urgency to open a network of five Crisis Care Centers countywide where anyone in King County can walk-in 24/7 to get free help for mental health, drug or alcohol use.
The first Regional Crisis Care Center is now open in Kirkland and more people are getting the specialized care they need as a result—more than 4,300 unique individuals to date. A second Crisis Care Center, located on First Hill in Seattle, is expected to open by the end of 2027. In 2024, DCHS released the first round RFP and anticipates closing the RFP in the coming months.
If your organization is a licensed Behavioral Health Agency (BHA) dedicated to providing mental health or substance use care, and committed to equity, this opportunity could be for you!
The selected BHA for the East Regional Crisis Care Center will be responsible for clinical operations, capital development, as well as partnering with local jurisdictions to identify a location for the center.
Learn more and apply
Review the full Request for Proposals on DCHS’ Funding Opportunities Website.
Proposers must have an Agiloft account. Instructions to create your account are here.
Key Dates:
- Pre-Application Deadline: Submit mandatory Letter of Intent by 2 p.m. on March 3, 2026
- Pre-Application Decision Notification: No later than March 4, 2026
- Application Deadline: Submit proposals by 2 p.m. on May 8, 2026
Proposers are responsible for regularly checking Agiloft for any updates, clarifications, or official addenda to this RFP.
CCC Procurement Process
This RFP is the second round of King County’s procurement process to select Crisis Care Center operators. In the first round, DCHS selected Connections Health Solutions to operate centers in Kirkland and Seattle. Applications for South King County are in review and expected to be awarded in 2026.
No youth providers applied to the first round of procurement. A third round to select a Behavioral Health Agency to operate a Crisis Care Center for youth will open in 2026.
Qualifications to Apply
To be eligible, proposals must meet several qualifications, including:
1. A Letter of Intent is required of all Proposers (Pre-Application). Submission of a Letter of Intent does not in any way require the Proposer to submit a complete proposal. The Letter of Intent shall address the following:
- BHA information (including planned partnerships, if known);
- Anticipated Capital Development Entry Phase, if known; and
- Point of contact to arrange Capital Development Technical Assistance.
The Letter of Intent will serve as the mechanism for BHAs considering submitting a proposal to notify DCHS of their interest in order to be connected with a Capital Development consultant to participate in the required Technical Assistance.
2. Jurisdictional Letter of Support. A Jurisdictional Letter of Support is mandatory for proposals that identify a specific site and preferred for proposals that do not identify a specific site.
3. BHA License: The RFP is open to both nonprofit and for-profit organizations licensed as a Behavioral Health Agency (BHA) in Washington State.
4. Experience: The lead BHA and any partner BHAs must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience providing Behavioral Health crisis services or similar clinical services.
5. Capital Experience (May use partners): The Proposer must demonstrate the ability and a minimum of five years of experience developing large-scale capital projects with budgets of $10 million at a minimum.
6. Mandatory Technical Assistance Meeting: All Proposers are required to participate in at least an initial consulting meeting for Capital Development Technical Assistance prior to submitting their proposal. This meeting helps organizations understand the complex facility development processes.
7. Organizational Capacity: Must show organizational commitment and ability to implement a “No Wrong Door” approach, comply with the Equity Framework, and remain in good financial standing. The centers “No Wrong Door” approach means services are available 24/7 and everyone is welcome.
Note: Applications that fail to meet any minimum qualification may be disqualified.
About Crisis Care Centers: What Providers Need to Know
The initiative is making it easier for everyone in King County to get the specialized behavioral health care they need in a moment of crisis, which includes having the 988 crisis line to call or text, trained mobile crisis teams to respond in-person, a network of five Crisis Care Centers to go, and post-crisis teams to follow up. This full continuum of care is already helping more people into recovery and stands to reduce the over-reliance on hospital emergency departments, first responders and jails.
Crisis Care Centers core clinical components include:
- 24/7 Behavioral Health Urgent Care: For anyone to walk in and get immediate care for mental health and/or substance use crises.
- 23-Hour Crisis Observation Unit: For people with more acute needs who require specialized psychiatric care for up to 23 hours.
- Crisis Stabilization Unit: For people to receive continued stabilization services for up to 14 days.
Operators are also responsible for helping patients return home or connect to other supportive services after they are discharged from a Crisis Care Center. Additionally, King County will launch Post-Crisis Follow-Up teams in 2026 to support high-acuity clients leaving a Crisis Care Center.
Funding: The total funding available for one Crisis Care Center through this RFP is up to $191 million through 2032, combining CCC Levy funds, Medicaid, and commercial insurance funds. This local funding covers capital development of the facility, start-up operations, ongoing operations, and workforce development. King County recognizes facilities are a major investment and is committed to ensuring facilities remain successful. The goal is that each center will serve residents for at least 50 years.
Staffing a Crisis Care Center: The initiative is investing a total of $166 million to strengthen the behavioral health workforce, supporting competitive wages, trainings, apprenticeships, free Masters’ degrees, recruitment and retention of staff. King County will also launch a new Crisis Training Academy to train more people in crisis care.
Learn more about the Crisis Care Centers Initiative.