Tumwater expands crisis-response services as FD CARES and a state-funded mobile crisis team advance

Tumwater officials and partner service providers updated the Public Health and Safety Committee on May meeting developments for two crisis-response efforts — the fire department’s FD CARES referral program and a community-based crisis team (CBCT) being established with Olympic Health & Recovery Services and funded by the Washington Health Care Authority.

The FD CARES program, a part‑time service based at Tumwater Fire Station T1, has provided services to 23 clients since February and is actively working with 11, FD CARES staffer Ariana said. "I've been working him with him for about 4 months, and he's actually had a reduction in calls, about a 40% reduction," Ariana said, describing one client’s decline in 911 use after FD CARES engagement.

The program receives referrals from crews who respond to 911 calls and identify additional needs beyond the immediate emergency, Fire Department representatives said. "When a call is dispatched through 911 ... the crews go out, and they meet with an individual," FD CARES lead Serena said. "We do a screening with them ... identify some goals for the individuals and work on connecting them with local services."

Separately, Joe Avalos, executive director of Olympic Health & Recovery Services, reported that a CBCT application to the Health Care Authority has received conditional approval pending a virtual on-site review next week. Avalos said the HCA would fully fund the team if final approval is granted and that a contract with the agency is expected in July. "The actual startup time with hiring and onboarding is probably gonna be 90 days" after contracting, he said, while noting partners are trying to accelerate that timeline.

Unlike current teams in the region, Avalos said the Tumwater CBCT would be able to transport voluntary clients to appointments or voluntary inpatient care. He described CBCT staffing as a clinician paired with a certified crisis peer and said the team will focus response inside Tumwater city limits while the broader crisis system covers Thurston and Mason counties. "This team will be able to transport voluntary folks," Avalos said.

Committee members and staff focused questions on scope and coordination. Council Member Dolloff asked whether FD CARES referrals are generated through 911; staff clarified that most referrals originate from 911 responses where crews identify needs and refer those individuals to FD CARES for screening and connections to services. Committee members also asked whether FD CARES resource lists will be published; staff said they are compiling a vetted resource list but do not yet publish it publicly to avoid appearing to favor particular providers.

Officials linked the two efforts operationally: FD CARES referrals could connect people to clinical crisis response once the CBCT is operating. Avalos said other regional CBCTs grew in volume after public awareness increased, citing about 500 calls per month to crisis lines in the Thurston-Mason region. "Initially, it was kind of slow and then when folks started to hear about that this was available, then we started to get a ton of calls," he said.

Discussion items that remain open include staffing levels for FD CARES (currently part‑time) and data collection to measure program outcomes. Fire department staff said the halftime position appears to match current volume but that staffing will be reviewed as referrals and data increase. Avalos and committee members requested quarterly updates to track volume, integration with 988 and 911 dispatch protocols, and budgetary implications.

The committee did not take formal action on either program during the meeting; both updates were informational and committee members asked staff to return with additional details and future status reports.