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Great Rivers ASO outlines regional shift to new crisis-line provider and seeks county recommendation for Olympic Health as a 988 hub
Summary
Great Rivers behavioral health leaders said Columbia Wellness will transition focus to enhanced mobile crisis response and Olympic Health and Recovery Services will take over the regional crisis line starting April 1; the ASO asked the commissioners to provide a letter recommending Olympic Health as one of four 988 hubs the state will select.
Great Rivers Behavioral Health ASO and regional behavioral health providers briefed the Cowlitz County commissioners on an upcoming transition of the regional crisis line and the state’s move to 988 crisis routing.
Trinidad Medina, CEO of Great Rivers BH ASO, said Columbia Wellness — the longstanding regional crisis-line operator — will focus its resources on enhanced mobile crisis teams and will transition phone operations to a new provider so Columbia can concentrate on “boots on the ground.” Columbia’s Drew McDaniel said the agency answered its crisis line within three rings and typically mobilized within 15–20 minutes; facing requirements to become a 988 provider would have expanded Columbia’s phone workload beyond the region and reduced its capacity for mobile response.
Medina said Olympic Health and Recovery Services will assume operation of the regional crisis line beginning April 1. Joe Avalos, executive director of Olympic Health and Recovery Services, described the organization’s crisis experience in the region and said Olympic is pursuing accreditation and readiness to serve as a 988 hub. Olympic and ASO staff said they are coordinating data‑sharing, staffing and warm‑handoff protocols to avoid service gaps during the transition.
ASO staff explained that Washington state will identify up to four 988 hubs; those contracts are managed by the Washington State Department of Health and the Health Care Authority. Great Rivers ASO said it will ask local jurisdictions to submit letters of recommendation supporting Olympic Health as a hub applicant. Commissioners indicated broad support for keeping the service locally based and said they would prepare a recommendation letter.
Staff emphasized a “no wrong door” approach during the transition: callers to 988 or the regional 1‑800 number should receive help, and the ASO plans to maintain the regional 1‑800 number as a professional line for agencies and first‑responder consultation. Providers acknowledged national and state-level technical challenges — routing by area code versus cell-tower geolocation and the national 988 phone-tree design — and said they are working on protocols to ensure fast transfers and minimize repeated interviewing of callers.
Why it matters: the regional crisis line handles thousands of calls per month and is a critical link to mobile crisis teams, designated crisis responders and emergency services. Local control and seamless handoffs affect response times for people in acute behavioral‑health crises.
Ending: Great Rivers ASO requested a county recommendation letter supporting Olympic Health and Recovery Services as a prospective 988 hub; commissioners said they would prepare and provide the letter.
