Alternative Response Team (ART) Grant Program is sponsored by Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA). Offers funding to cities for alternative response models to assist individuals in crisis.

Alternative Response Team Grant Program as well as our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information. City Legislative Priorities Great session idea? Let’s hear it!

Risk Management Service Agency Workers Comp Retro Program Drug & Alcohol Consortium Alternative Response Team Grant Program Energy Audit Grant Program AWC Center for Quality Communities Alternative Response Team Grant Program AWC Alternative Response Team Grant Contact: Kirsten Peterson The 2026 application period is now closed, and application submissions are currently under review. Check back July 1 for a status update.

AWC, in partnership with the Washington Health Care Authority (HCA), is pleased to announce the next round of funding for the Alternative Response Team Grant (ARTG) Program. The purpose of the ARTG Program is to provide funding to cities to create new programs within different alternative response models, including law enforcement assisted diversion (LEAD), community assistance referral and education (CARES), and mobile crisis teams.

The ARTG Program is funded by state general fund dollars through HCA. Since its inception, the ARTG Program has awarded $7. 6 million to cities across the state.

In this upcoming grant cycle, $1. 4 million in grant funding is available for programs covering expenditures made between July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. For details on the current state of the program, read HCA’s 2025 report to the Legislature .

Watch this informational AWC webinar on the Alternative Response Team Grant Program. Gain an overview of funding priorities, eligibility requirements, guidance on the application process, and answers to common questions. Whether you are a returning applicant or new to the program, this webinar will help you prepare a competitive and complete proposal.

Application period opens: April 22 ARTG program webinar: May 13 Application period closes: May 29 (extended deadline!) Notification of applicant status: Prior to July 1 Performance period: July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027 As described in application materials above, the Word version of the application form must be submitted via email to grants@awcnet. org no later than Friday, May 29, at 5 pm.

Questions about the grant application materials or process may also be submitted to grants@awcnet. org . Alternative response systems in Washington State Across Washington, cities are on the front lines of a behavioral health crisis which has led to numerous challenges for cities.

This includes: People in crisis on city streets Rising demand for police and emergency response Increasing costs of providing services Mounting pressure on local courts and jails According to the American Psychological Association, 20% of all 911 calls are related to mental health, behavioral health, or substance use issues.

While cities are not traditional providers of behavioral health care services, first responders such as police officers, firefighters, and paramedics are increasingly dispatched to emergencies involving an individual experiencing a behavioral health, mental health, or substance use crisis. Many of these calls require professionals trained in a skillset that traditional first responders may not possess.

To ensure individuals receive a holistic response and help responders appropriately serve them, a growing number of cities in Washington have established alternative response programs. These innovative programs have proven successful in responding to individuals in crisis. Early data from cities with alternative response programs show a marked reduction in jail bookings, crisis services events, and emergency department visits.

Cities are also partnering with counties, fire districts, tribes, businesses, and community-based organizations to expand access to behavioral health services at the local level. Excerpts above are from AWC’s State of the Cities December 2025 report: “ Behavioral health: supporting vulnerable populations in our communities ."

Check out how other cities in Washington are responding to the crisis Everett launched CARE (Community Alternative Response Program) in 2024 after several years of building local partnerships in their community. Community Support Teams | City of Everett Some cities partner with a local fire district or department.

Examples: HOPE Team Program | Tacoma Fire Department & City of Tacoma CARES Program | Olympia Fire Department & City of Olympia Local police departments partner with mental health professionals to provide community-based systems of response and care. LEAD West Plains | Cities of Airway Heights & Cheney Mobile crisis response model Care for community members in rural areas can best be provided through mobile crisis response programs.

Mobile Integrated Health Program (MIHP) | Mason & Thurston Counties Private & nonprofit partnership model In other scenarios, cities partner with an outside agency or nonprofit to provide needed services.

Crisis Response | Project Be Free | Cities of Auburn & Kent CROA (Co-Responder Outreach Alliance) Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab (GPL) Examining Alternative Response: A Landscape Analysis of Nine Community Responder Teams Rural Health Information Hub funded by Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and operated by the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota Mobile Crisis Teams – RHIhub Mental Health Toolkit National Library of Medicine PROTOCOL: Co‐Responding Police‐Mental Health Programs and the Impact on Justice and Social Service Outcomes: A Systematic Review - PMC Brennan Center for Justice Rethinking How Law Enforcement Is Deployed Frequently asked questions What is a co-responder system?

Co-response programs are based in police, fire/EMS, EMS, or public safety departments. Co-responders may work directly for these departments or behavioral health agencies or serve as contracted employees. Co-response teams are dispatched by 911 and/or first responders, ideally, in close collaboration with 988.

There are generally three approaches: A first responder and behavioral health professionals ride together in the same vehicle for an entire shift. The behavioral health professional is called to the scene and the call is handled together. The behavioral health professional receives a referral from a first responder and follows up after the call.

It is a flexible, collaborative approach that can meet community needs for rapid response, even in rural and frontier areas. Co-response is also referred to in Washington State statute as mental health field response and is sometimes referred to as mobile integrated health. Not all co-response is behavioral health co-response but this approach is increasingly popular.

What is the funding source of this grant? The ARTG program is funded by state general fund dollars. Grant funds originate with the Health Care Authority; however, AWC oversees the grant program and administers reimbursements.

Are existing programs eligible to apply for funding? The goal of the grant is to help cities with the cost of creating co-responder programs. In keeping with that goal, programs implemented for less than 18 months at the time of application are eligible for funding.

Programs that should apply include brand new programs, programs in development, pilot programs, and first-year programs. Current recipients of ART grant funds can apply and may receive funding for qualifying applications up to three total grant cycles depending on performance, application competitiveness, and availability of funds. Can counties, fire districts, or other public agencies apply for funding?

No – This program is specifically to reimburse cities for costs associated with creating co-responder programs. Cities are encouraged to partner with outside organizations including counties, fire districts, non-profits, and others. However, cities must apply for funding and must serve as the lead agency.

Can you provide examples of alternative response team programs? Examples of specific city programs in Washington state are provided above the FAQ section.

Descriptions of the various models are listed below: Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion or Let Everyone Advance with Dignity (LEAD) programs allow police officers to divert individuals in need of behavioral health support into community intervention programs.

Individuals who have violated the law because of unmet care needs are able to enter intensive care management programs instead of the criminal legal system. The goal of LEAD programs is behavioral change and the provision of services that support behavioral change. LEAD case managers work closely with law enforcement and prosecutors to coordinate responses for participants.

LEAD functions to interrupt the arrest – incarceration – rearrest cycle that can keep individuals engaged in criminal legal systems without addressing root causes of violations. Community Assistance and Referral Education Program Community Assistance and Referral Education Services (CARES) programs are typically embedded within a fire department.

They are designed to provide appropriate resources to individuals utilizing 911 and emergency services to meet lower acuity needs. CARES programs use paramedics, social workers, and trusted messengers to help individuals recognize unmet needs and lower barriers to medical, behavioral, and infrastructural support.

Essentially, the CARES programs help identify the areas individuals need additional support and will help them navigate difficult medical and practical situations through a community network and social services. This work is intended to lower the burden on emergency rooms and responders by diverting non-emergent medical and behavioral health concerns and ongoing social needs to an alternate and more effective pathway.

Mobile Crisis Response Teams Another model used often in rural areas is the Mobile Crisis Response Team where clinicians pair up with peer specialists and certified substance use and behavioral health specialists to provide rapid direct interventions, assessments, recommendations, and treatment referrals out in the streets. Mobile Crisis Teams – RHIhub Mental Health Toolkit How much funding can a jurisdiction apply for?

There is not a limit to how much funding a city can apply for. We understand that costs can vary depending on where a jurisdiction is located and want to provide adequate funding to cities to effectively stand-up programs in their communities. We encourage applicants to thoughtfully consider their needs and expenses as they complete the grant application.

Will additional funding be available in the future? As these are state funds, we cannot guarantee that funding will continue into the future. Our jurisdiction does not have crisis stabilization and triage beds available in our community.

Should we still apply for funding? Yes – It is not a requirement that your city has these beds available. Cities without locally available beds may consider resources located in another community, virtual options, or other feasible ways of connecting individuals to services.

What types of programs are eligible to apply? The state budget proviso specifically mentions alternative response programs including law enforcement assisted diversion (LEAD), community assistance referral and education (CARES), and mobile crisis teams. Programs should have a focus on serving individuals living with drug addiction, mental illness, homelessness, or individuals who are high utilizers of emergency services.

It is understood that once established, alternative response programs will serve a wide variety of individuals. Could this grant fund a city employed medical provider? Potentially – If the medical provider would be a part of a new alternative response team program, a city could request and receive funding for that position.

A city seeking to use grant funds for staff positions should clearly explain the role the individual will serve in the program. Are there grant constraints or restrictions? Is the this for new programs only or do grant opportunities include program expansion or sustainability?

Grant funds are only available to cities who are creating a new alternative response program. Cities may partner with outside agencies to stand up new programs within their community. Cities may partner with an outside agency who is currently operating a program as long as the funded program would be new for residents living in city limits.

The goal of ARTG funds is to create sustainable programs within a city. Applicants will need to demonstrate in their grant application the sustainability of the program once grant funds are no longer available. Will this funding be available for programs that are currently grant funded and at risk of shutting down without a continued funding source?

Grant funds are only available to new programs operated within a city that have been in place for less than 18 months at the time of application or current programs receiving ARTG funding. If the program needing funding meets these criteria, the program would be eligible to apply for grant funds. However, the goal of ARTG funds is to create sustainable programs within a city.

Applicants will need to demonstrate in their grant application the sustainability of the program once grant funds are no longer available. If you have previously received ARTG funding for a program, can you reapply for funding for that same program?

Current recipients of ART Grant funds can apply and may receive funding for qualifying applications up to three total grant cycles depending on performance, application competitiveness, and availability of funds. Would a team solely located within a jail (consisting of a social worker and jail custody officer) meeting the needs of people being booked by officers, be considered for this grant? Or does it need to be truly mobile?

The state budget proviso specifically mentions alternative response programs including law enforcement assisted diversion (LEAD), community assistance referral and education (CARES), and mobile crisis teams. AWC will review programs requesting funding through this lens.

AWC recognizes that each community has unique needs for alternative response programs and will consider programs that provide an alternative response to traditional emergency services. Programs should have a focus on serving individuals living with drug addiction, mental illness, homelessness, or individuals who are high utilizers of emergency services.

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