Tumwater council approves mobile crisis outreach agreement with Olympic Health & Recovery

The Tumwater City Council authorized a service provider agreement with Olympic Health and Recovery Services to staff and operate the Tumwater Mobile Outreach crisis team, beginning Oct. 1, 2025. Fire Department leadership presented the proposal and described a co‑responder model with a crisis clinician and a peer‑support navigator on each team. Fire leadership said the teams will be integrated with local dispatch and monitoring of 911 calls and will provide 24‑hour coverage. "There's 24 hour coverage. We're gonna have a team available to us here in Tumwater," the fire chief said. Joe Avalos, executive director of Olympic Health and Recovery Services, told the council the organization already runs outreach programs elsewhere in Thurston and Mason counties and described the region’s program as a model: "We're kind of looked at as a national leader in this ... region," he said. Council members asked about cross‑jurisdictional tracking, transport and inpatient beds. Avalos said teams can transport voluntary clients and coordinate with South Sound Behavioral Hospital for involuntary or voluntary admissions; he said South Sound accepts both voluntary and involuntary patients after a designated crisis responder assessment. Council member Peter Agave moved to authorize the agreement; Council member Kelly Von Holtz seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Council members praised the program as a way to provide alternatives to arrest and emergency‑room transport and to increase follow‑up care; staff said office and fire‑station workspaces will support the team and that all positions have been filled.