Mental Health Field Response Teams Program



The Mental Health Field Response Grant Program (RCW 36.28A.440) provides grants to local police and sheriff’s departments to improve the interactions between the public and law enforcement. Mental health professionals assist patrol officers in the field or in an on-call capacity, they also provide training on best practices.

These innovative partnerships reduce the possibility of using force and improve public safety overall. Instead of booking someone into jail, they may be connected with services or diverted to a more appropriate facility for care.  The program is one of the ways your local law enforcement is working to find solutions for communities.

The following are 2022-2023 Grant recipients (multi-agency grants are administered by the agency listed):

  • Chelan County Sheriff's Office
  • Hoquiam Police Department
  • Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
  • Kirkland Police Department
  • Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office
  • Longview Police Department
  • Port Angeles Police Department
  • Poulsbo Police Department
  • Spokane County Sheriff’s Office

Please click here to review our most recent annual report for the 2021-2022 state fiscal year. 

2023-2025 Request for Applications (RFA)

  • May 1, 2023, at 12:00 PM PDT – Application period opens.
  • May 12, 2023, at 4:00 PM PDT – Inquiry period closes. No further inquiries will be taken or responded to after this date.
  • May 15, 2023, by 4:00 PM PDT – Responses to inquiries will be posted on the program’s page of the WASPC website.
  • May 15, 2023, by 4:00 PM PDT – A draft Grant Agreement document will be posted on the Mental Health Field Response page of the WASPC website.
  • May 26, 2023, at 4:00 PM PDT – Grant application period closes. No late submissions will be accepted.
  • Funding Period July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025 
  • Contact Steven Briggs, Program Coordinator, [email protected]
  • Click here to view the 2023-2025 Request for Applications. 
  • Any RFA updates and subsequent materials will be dated and posted on this website.
  • Click here to submit your application.
    • If you have any trouble accessing or using the application platform, please contact us at [email protected]. The inquiry timeline does not apply to questions regarding the application platform.

  • Response to Written Inquiries (posted May 15, 2023): 
    Q: We currently contract with a behavioral health provider in our community for [field response services] but feel we would be more successful at retaining [staff] if these positions were [our] employees. We would like to write our application for [our own] positions rather than contracted positions, is that allowable?
    A: Yes, that is allowable.

    Q: If we write our applications for internal employees, can we include a 10% indirect cost rate in our application?
    A: Yes, that is allowable.

  • Draft Contract and Julota SaaS Agreement (posted 05/15/23)

For information contact:
Steven Briggs, NCA | Program Coordinator
WA Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs
[email protected] or 360.486.2389