UW Partnership
SB 5644 has created a partnership between the Co-Responder Outreach Alliance and the University of Washington School of Social Work to develop training for co-response teams (fire/EMS and police) and promote skills and best practices. In 2022-2023, our UW partners surveyed the 60+ co-response programs across the state in fire and police departments to identify trends, goals, needs, and best practices. They also hosted Washington State’s first co-response retreat, which offered advanced skills classes and instruction on wellness practices.
In 2023-2024, the UW is working with CROA to develop crisis intervention training specific to co-response and planning an April 2024 retreat. Watch this space for information about UW-led assessment, training, networking, and workforce development initiatives.