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Bill would define co-response teams, add peer-support protections and workers' comp presumption
Summary
House Bill 1811 would create a statutory definition for co-response teams, direct the University of Washington to develop a statewide peer-support program for co-responders, and extend workers' compensation presumptions during public-health emergencies to co-responder personnel. Proponents said the changes would formalize protections and support
House Bill 1811 would add a statutory definition of "co response" and expand legal protections and supports for co-responder personnel who work alongside law enforcement, fire or EMS to handle behavioral-health crises.
Committee staff said the bill defines co response as a partnership between first responders (law enforcement, EMS, firefighters) and human-services professionals (behavioral-health providers, nurses, peer support specialists or community health workers) that responds to people experiencing behavioral-health emergencies. The bill would require the University of Washington to develop a statewide peer-support program to help co-responders manage on-the-job trauma and would extend statutory peer-support confidentiality protections to co-responders.
"This core idea is straightforwa…
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