Our communities embrace traditional values about respecting and honoring all people. We honor Tribal sovereignty as the highest principle. Tribal Nations have inherent sovereignty to respond to behavioral health crises in their communities and having a state recognized Tribal Designated Crisis Responder (TDCR) is one part of crisis response.

Since the implementation of managed care entities for behavioral health crisis services in Washington state, Tribes and Urban Indian Health Organizations (UIHOs) have been working with the state of Washington to develop culturally appropriate access to behavioral health services. AIHC has taken the lead in supporting Tribal Designated Crisis Responders.

It is important that this work be done in a Tribally driven process.  The Tribes and Indian Health Care Providers in Washington State are the subject matter experts on how their systems work.  State partners need to honor that knowledge, listen and hear the solutions coming from each community and use their power and resources to rectify decades long barriers to care.