Tag: Functional Behavioral Assessment

What Parents Need to Know when Disability Impacts Behavior and Discipline at School

Posted on by Nicol Walsh

This article includes: Information that you can view, download and print

Behavior is a form of communication. When a student struggles with behavior at school, it may be a sign that they need additional support, services, accommodations, or instruction. For students with disabilities, schools must look beyond discipline and consider what will help the student participate meaningfully in school. Repeated requests for early pickup, shortened school days, suspensions, or other lost instructional time can be signs that a different approach is needed to keep the student engaged in learning and making progress at school.

A Brief Overview

  • Behavior support can be part of a student’s right to Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
  • Schools must consider a student’s disability-related needs when behavior affects learning.
  • Repeated requests for early pickup, shortened school days, suspensions, or other lost instructional time can be signs that a different approach is needed to keep a student engaged in learning and making progress at school.
  • Families can request evaluations, school meetings, and the development or revision of behavioral supports.
  • Students continue to have educational rights during disciplinary removals.
  • Families have the right to ask questions, request records, and seek review or appeal when they disagree with discipline decisions.

Introduction

This article explains how school discipline can overlap with disability rights when behavior is connected to a student’s disability, trauma, or unmet support needs. It focuses on these practical questions:

  • When should families ask for evaluation or behavior support?
  • What counts as a removal from school?
  • What must schools consider before relying on suspension, expulsion, shortened school days, or other removals?
  • What rights do students and families have when they disagree with discipline decisions?

When Is Behavior a Sign That More Support Is Needed?

Students with disabilities have the right to the supports and services they need to learn and participate in school, a protection known as Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Guidance from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) explains that FAPE includes services, supports, and accommodations designed to meet a student’s individual needs, as well as training for school staff so they understand those needs and can effectively implement the student’s supports.

When behavior affects learning, participation, or access to instruction, schools should consider what additional supports, accommodations, services, instruction, or interventions may be needed. The goal is not simply to stop a behavior, but to understand what the behavior may be communicating and identify strategies that help the student succeed.

Behavior supports can take many forms, including:

  • Accommodations
  • Counseling or behavioral health services
  • Social-emotional instruction
  • Positive behavioral supports
  • Changes to an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan
  • Behavioral assessment and planning

Schools are required to provide education and support before resorting to discipline for children who struggle with behavior because of their impairments. According to OCR, individualized behavioral supports may include counseling, school social worker services, school-based mental health services, physical activity, and opportunities for a student to visit a counselor or behavioral coach when they need time and space to self-regulate. Counseling and other behavioral health supports can also be written into an IEP as related services when educationally necessary for FAPE.

When Should Families Ask for an Evaluation, Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA), or Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP)?

An evaluation can be requested at any time if a disability may be affecting a child’s education. Schools also have a responsibility to evaluate when there is reason to suspect a disability is affecting learning, behavior, attendance, or participation in school.

An evaluation or school meeting may be helpful if:

  • A student is frequently suspended.
  • A student is often sent home because of behavior.
  • Behavior is interfering with learning.
  • Existing supports are not working.
  • School staff report ongoing concerns.
  • Instructional time is being lost because of behavior-related issues.

Section 504 does not limit the number of evaluations a student may reasonably request or receive. OCR guidance states that families may request an evaluation at any time and at public expense. Schools also have a responsibility to evaluate when there is reason to believe a disability is affecting a student’s education, known as Child Find.

A Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) is a type of evaluation used to better understand the reasons behind challenging behaviors and identify strategies that may help. An FBA is not required before asking for behavior supports. The IEP or 504 team can discuss behavior concerns, review existing supports, and consider changes to a student’s IEP, 504 Plan, or behavior supports at any time. PAVE offers a Sample Letter to Request a Functional Behavioral Assessment, available for download in multiple languages.

One type of behavior support is a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). A BIP is a working document that the school and family develop together and review regularly to help a student succeed at school. It focuses on positive supports, skill building, and encouragement rather than punishment.

A BIP may include strategies to:

  • Teach new skills and replacement behaviors
  • Increase positive supports and reinforcement
  • Reduce barriers to learning and participation
  • Prevent future challenges and escalation.

The information gathered through an FBA can be used to develop, review, or revise a BIP when current strategies are not meeting a student’s needs.

More information about participating in the FBA/BIP process is available in PAVE’s video training, Behavior and School: How to Participate in the FBA/BIP Process.

What Happens When Behavior Leads to Discipline?

Washington’s student-discipline rules encourage schools to keep students connected to learning whenever possible and to use responses that are fair and consistent. In 2025, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) updated the student-discipline rules and added a definition for discretionary discipline, which refers to situations where school staff have flexibility in choosing how to respond to behavior. Rather than using the same consequence every time, staff may consider the circumstances before deciding on a response.

A student may be removed from a classroom, instructional area, or activity when behavior substantially disrupts learning or creates safety concerns. This type of action is often called a classroom exclusion (WAC 392-400) Time away from the classroom may last for the remainder of the school day, up to the following two school days, or until the teacher and principal (or designee) have met, whichever occurs first. If the exclusion extends beyond those limits, it may be considered a suspension and additional requirements may apply.

District policies must include procedures for informing parents when classroom exclusions occur. Notification must be provided in a language families can understand.

Questions to consider include:

  • Why was the student removed?
  • How long will the exclusion last?
  • What support will help the student return successfully?
  • How is the removal being documented?

Washington’s discipline rules also:

  • Encourage schools to minimize suspensions and expulsions and focus on evidence-based approaches that keep students engaged in learning.
  • Prohibit exclusion because of absences or tardiness.
  • Require absences related to mental health to be excused.
  • Limit exclusionary discipline for behaviors that do not present a safety threat.
  • Require educational services during suspensions and expulsions.

What Counts as a Removal From School?

Any disciplinary action that takes a student away from their regular educational placement can count as a removal from school.

Examples of removals include:

  • Out-of-school suspension
  • In-school suspension
  • Expulsion
  • Emergency removal
  • Removal from class, activities, or part of the school day because of behavior

These actions are also referred to as exclusionary discipline because they remove a student from some or all of their educational program.

Repeated requests to pick up a student early can result in significant missed instruction. Understanding how these removals are affecting the student’s school day can start with a few key questions:

  • How much instruction is my child missing?
  • Are these removals being documented?
  • Why is my child being removed instead of receiving additional support?
  • Does my child need an evaluation, new accommodations, or additional services?

A shortened school day should not be an automatic response to behavior challenges. Before reducing a student’s school day, schools should consider whether additional supports, services, accommodations, instruction, or behavioral interventions could help the student participate successfully in a full day.

If the school reduces a student’s schedule because of behavior, the change could be considered a suspension. OCR’s guidance points out that a shortened school day is an example of a significant change of placement, and that placement changes require a re-evaluation process.

What Rights Continue During Suspensions and Other Removals?

A student’s right to education does not end because of a disciplinary removal. Washington law requires schools to provide educational services during suspensions, expulsions, and emergency removals (WAC 392-400-610). Educational services should help students continue participating in the general education curriculum and making educational progress.

When a student is suspended or expelled, families have the right to ask how educational services will continue, including:

  • What educational services will be provided?
  • How will instruction be delivered?
  • How will assignments be completed?
  • Who should we contact with questions?
  • How will progress be monitored?

Educational services provided in an alternative setting must enable the student to:

  • Continue to participate in the general education curriculum
  • Meet the educational standards established within the district
  • Complete subject, grade-level, and graduation requirements.

Schools must report disciplinary and emergency removals to both the parent or guardian and the state. Written notice must include:

  • A description of the student’s behavior and how it violated district discipline policy.
  • The length of the suspension or expulsion.
  • Information about educational services.
  • Information about the right to request a conference.
  • Information about appeal rights.

The school district must provide notice in a language the student and parent or guardian can understand, including interpretation or translation when needed (WAC 392-400-455). 

What Happens When Families Disagree With a School’s Decision?

Families have the right to ask questions and request information when they disagree with disciplinary actions, evaluation decision, placement change, or denial of services.

Requests may include:

  • Written notice explaining the decision
  • School records related to the incident
  • An evaluation or reevaluation
  • An IEP or Section 504 meeting
  • An FBA or BIP
  • Information about educational services
  • Information about available appeal or dispute-resolution options

Washington’s discipline rules include procedures for notice, conferences, review, and appeals. Students receiving special education services may also have additional protections when disciplinary removals become lengthy or repeated.

When families disagree with decisions about evaluation, services, placement, or discipline, federal and state laws provide rights and dispute-resolution options. PAVE’s articles on dispute resolution and procedural safeguards offer practical guidance for understanding available options and next steps.

If a concern involves disability discrimination, an Office for Civil Rights (OCR) complaint may also be an option.

Learn More

The Governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO) provides information about Discipline, Suspensions, and Expulsions, and options for resolving concerns when families disagree with school decisions.

Schools are guided by the state to use best practices when evaluating and serving students with special needs. OSPI’s Model Forms for Services to Students in Special Education webpage has links to downloadable forms schools use to develop IEPs, Section 504 Plans, and more, including:

PAVE provides a Behavioral Health Toolkit that includes a video to support development of a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) issued guidance in July 2022 that describes federal work underway to improve behavioral supports and reduce disciplinary removal of students receiving special education services. OSEP’s Dear Colleague Letter includes links to a Q and A document about disciplinary requirements and A Guide for Stakeholders.

PAVE Provides Sample Letters to Support Families in their Advocacy

Posted on by Nicol Walsh

PAVE offers a collection of downloadable sample letters, available in multiple languages, to help families advocate for their children’s educational needs. These letters support clear and effective communication between families and schools, making it easier to request evaluations, meetings, or behavioral support. Whether you’re just getting started or need help with a specific concern, these tools can guide your next steps.

What is an Advocate?

An advocate is someone who works toward a cause or goal. While professional advocates may be trained to support others, family caregivers often become advocates themselves when they speak up for a child’s needs. Sometimes the hardest part of advocacy is figuring out what to do next. When a child has unmet needs at school, students and family advocates can request evaluations, meetings, or behavioral assessments to help improve services. Putting these requests in writing helps formalize the process and ensures that everyone involved is accountable.

PAVE helps families get started with a collection of sample letters, available for download in multiple languages. We’ve bundled links to those letter templates here for easy reference. Each link takes you to a short article with key information to help you understand the process of special education and how your customized letter can move you forward in that process.

Always Keep Your “Why” in Mind

Why are you taking action? Because you want something to improve for your child! PAVE’s short video, Quick Start Your Advocacy in Two Steps, might help you get ready to craft a letter. The video helps you ask two key questions:

  • What do you want?
  • Who has the power to work with you and make that happen?

As you write your letter, keep those questions and your “why” top of mind.

Request an Evaluation

Sample Letter to Request Evaluation: Schools are required to evaluate students to determine eligibility for a Section 504 Plan or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). A referral can come from anyone with knowledge of the student and must be in writing. This article provides a sample letter and a link to an alternative form provided by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

Download the Sample Letter to Request an Evaluation in:
English | Chinese (Simplified) 中文 (Zhōngwén) | Korean 한국어 (Hangugeo) | Russian Русский (Russkiy) | Somali Soomaali | Spanish Español | Tagalog | Ukrainian українська | Vietnamese Tiếng Việt

Request an IEP Meeting

Sample Letter to Request an IEP Meeting: Family members can request an IEP team meeting anytime there are concerns about how the IEP is being implemented and whether a student may have unmet needs. This article includes information about who is required to attend an IEP meeting and the rights of parents to participate in educational decision making.

Download the Sample Letter to Request an IEP Meeting in:
English | Chinese (Simplified) 中文 (Zhōngwén) | Korean 한국어 (Hangugeo) | Russian Русский (Russkiy) | Somali Soomaali | Spanish Español | Tagalog | Vietnamese Tiếng Việt

Request a Functional Behavioral Assessment

Sample Letter to Request a Functional Behavioral Assessment: If a child’s behavior is getting in the way of their education, the school is responsible to assess the problematic behaviors and develop a support plan to teach the student what to do instead. In addition to a sample letter, this article provides a link to a video to help families and schools work together through this process.

Download the Sample Letter to Request a Functional Behavioral Evaluation in:
English | Chinese (Simplified) 中文 (Zhōngwén) | Korean 한국어 (Hangugeo) | Russian Русский (Russkiy) | Somali Soomaali | Spanish Español | Tagalog | Ukrainian українська | Vietnamese Tiếng Việt

Request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)

Evaluations Part 2: Next Steps if the School Says ‘No’: If the school evaluates a student and says they aren’t eligible for an IEP or a specific area of service, parents have steps they can take if they disagree. One option is to request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) from an outside provider. This article provides a sample letter for requesting an IEE at school district expense. If the family requests an IEE because they disagree with the school’s evaluation or its conclusions, then the district must pay for the IEE or deny the request through Due Process: IEE denials are evaluated by an Administrative Law Judge.

Download the Sample Letter to Request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) in:
English | Chinese (Simplified) 中文 (Zhōngwén) | Korean 한국어 (Hangugeo) | Russian Русский (Russkiy) | Somali Soomaali | Spanish Español | Tagalog | Ukrainian українська | Vietnamese Tiếng Việt

Final Thoughts

Families who want individualized assistance can reach out to PAVE by completing the Get Support  form. Check out the PAVE Calendar for upcoming trainings and events.

Discipline and Disability Rights: What to do if Your Child is Being Sent Home

Posted on by Nicol Walsh

Learning the skills to maintain expected behavior and follow school rules is part of education. All students learn social, emotional and behavioral skills. Students with disabilities may get extra help in these areas of learning. Some have individualized behavior support plans.

When the pre-teaching and interventions fail to stop a behavior from causing a problem, the school might call a parent to say, “Take them home.” What happens next could depend on how well-informed parents are about the rights of students with disabilities.

This video provides key information about what to do if your child is being sent home. The first thing to ask is, “Are they being suspended?” If the answer is yes, the school is required to file specific paperwork. If the answer is no, a parent has choices and may support better long-term outcomes by carefully documenting what happens next.

Below are links to resources referenced in the video:

Transcript of Discipline and Disability Rights: What to do if Your Child is Being Sent Home

Learning the skills to maintain expected behavior and follow school rules is part of education. All students learn social, emotional and behavioral skills. Students with special needs may get extra help in these areas of learning. Some have individualized behavior support plans.

When the pre-teaching and interventions fail to stop behavior from causing a problem, the school might call a parent to say, “Take them home.” What happens next could depend on how well-informed parents are about the rights of students with disabilities. This video provides key information to help.

First let’s talk about what exclusionary discipline means. If school staff remove a student from the place they are supposed to be during school, because of their behavior, then it’s exclusionary discipline. Out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, and in-school suspensions count. An in-school suspension might mean getting sent to the office, for example.

Informal removals like when the school calls parents to take a child home because of their behavior is exclusionary discipline if parents feel they have no choice. A regularly shortened school day also may be a form of exclusionary discipline if the school offers this as the only option.

These final two points might seem like a surprise. Let’s clarify a few things. It’s important to know who is making the decisions. If the family chooses to take a child home early because they aren’t feeling well physically or mentally, then it’s not exclusionary discipline.

If an IEP or Section 504 team decides it’s in the student s best interests to attend school for fewer hours, then it’s not disciplinary. If a teacher takes a student into the hallway for a short chat before returning to class, then it likely doesn’t count as a disciplinary action.

Disciplinary removal from school is a decision made unilaterally by the school. If the family

believes they have no option but to take their child home or if the school imposes a shorter

day without having a meeting to talk it through, then it counts as exclusionary discipline.

The school would essentially be changing a student s placement without the consent of

the school-and-family team in charge of those decisions.

We need to know a few things about student rights to fully unpack this topic, so here’s a quick take  on student rights. They are shown here as a pyramid. All students have rights at the bottom. Students with special educational services are at the top and have all these rights.

Special education rights are protected by a federal law called the IDEA the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. IDEA protects the rights of students with Individualized Education Programs IEPs. IDEA has specific rules about what has to happen when a student with an IEP is excluded from school for behavior.

A student s Civil Rights are protected by federal laws also. The United States Office for Civil Rights OCR upholds these laws and provides specific guidance about what schools have to do when they discipline students with disabilities. Civil Rights laws protect students with IEPs, students with Section 504 Plans, and students with known or suspected disabilities who need to be evaluated to see if they are eligible for services. Sometimes discipline is the reason a student is evaluated to determine eligibility for services.

General Education Rights are protected by ESSA, which stands for Every Student Succeeds Act. Every child in the United States has the right to attend school, regardless of life circumstances that might include disability, poverty, racism, unstable housing, citizenship status, or something else. The public school responsible for serving a student cannot send them away without following specific state and federal rules.

To uphold the rights of students, schools are responsible to teach expected behavior in culturally appropriate ways and to help students stay in school and learning. The US Department of Education provides information about student rights. In July 2022, the Departments Office for Civil Rights published a 41-page document describing the rules schools must follow when they discipline students with disabilities. That document is called Supporting  Students with Disabilities and Avoiding the Discriminatory Use of Student Discipline under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

The document includes information that students with disabilities and students who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color are disciplined at higher rates. BIPOC students with disabilities are the most impacted by discriminatory policies and practices. As part of their responsibility to support inclusion, schools may not exclude students in ways that discriminate. Knowing that schools are responsible to teach and cannot send students away without going through a formal, well-documented process, what’s a parent to do if the school calls and says to take the student home?

The rest of this presentation provides some guidance, summarized on this slide. The first step is to ask whether the student is being suspended. Requesting paperwork and tracking missed time is critical to hold the school accountable. An important number in this process is 10 that s how many days a student with a disability can miss due to discipline before the school is responsible to host a specific meeting called manifestation determination.

More about that in a moment. Communication is critical to improving outcomes when a student’s behavior is interfering with school. Families can ask for regular information about a student s behavior, and schools can send data tracking sheets home to make sure everyone knows how things are going. Let’s unpack these five points.

For a student to be sent home, the behavior must be severely disruptive or dangerous. If that’s what’s happening, then your child is being suspended or emergency expelled. Schools must report suspensions and expulsions to the family and to the state. If the school calls and asks you to take your student home, Step 1 is to ask: Are they being suspended?

If a student is being formally excluded from school because of their behavior, state law requires written notice to parents that includes: A description of what they did wrong including what school rule was broken Dates that the suspension starts and ends What the school tried first that didn’t work and why they chose to send the child home How the student will be provided education while away from school Information that the student and parents have the right to meet with a school administrator to talk about what happened And information about the family s right to appeal the action.

Note that all this information must be provided in a language and format that is accessible to the family. If the school says the student isn’t being formally suspended, then parents have choices. They can take the student home and call it a mental health day. Washington law requires schools to accept behavioral health reasons for students to be absent. On this slide are

a few questions families may want to consider asking:

  • Parents can ask for a meeting to talk about services. If the student doesn’t have a Section
  • 504 Plan or an IEP, it might be time to request an evaluation to see about eligibility for services. If the student doesn’t have a positive behavior support plan, a meeting could be arranged to talk about that option.
  • Parents might say they want the student to stay at school and ask for information about how and where education will be provided if the student stays. Parents can request paperwork about what happened and what the school tried before calling home.
  • Be sure to ask how the school will record the absence if the student leaves school.
  • Will it be excused, unexcused, or recorded as exclusionary discipline?

One reason it’s important to document every time a student is sent away for behavior is a specific special education process called Manifestation Determination. Manifestation Determination is a formal name for a meeting where the school and family talk about what happened and decide whether the behavior was directly related to the student s disability.

If yes, the team determines that the behavior was a manifestation of disability. In that case, it’s especially important to consider what additional supports are needed to scaffold the student’s behavior doesn’t keep interrupting school and learning. Manifestation Determination is required when a student with disabilities misses 10 or more days of school because of behavior. Those days might include partial days, informal suspensions, and in-school suspension.

A Manifestation Determination meeting includes discussion about whether an IEP, Section 504 Plan, or behavior support plan is being followed appropriately and whether it’s got everything the student needs to successfully learn expected behaviors. If no, the team is responsible to make changes. That might mean gathering more information through an evaluation or bringing together more expertise from the district or outside providers. The team may discuss changing the student s placement.

Washington s state educational agency, OSPI, provides detailed information about manifestation determination and other disciplinary rules for students with disabilities. One place to get that information is a Technical Assistance Paper called TAP #2, available through OSPI s website, which is k12.wa.gov. PAVE provides a link on the page where you clicked to watch this video.

Here is a general tip for parents to prepare for ups and downs. If parents tell the school they want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly, they are setting up a communication pathway for whatever happens. Hopefully, collaborative problem-solving will result. For example, knowing what’s going well will help everyone support the student to build on strengths. Knowing what’s not going well might prevent problems from getting worse. Saying you want to know the ugly might help the school understand that you want to work together and don’t want them to gloss over a behavioral incident by sending your student home without an official suspension, for example. When every trouble is treated as a chance to learn and improve, progress can accelerate.

Here s a PAVE resource that might provide additional information you’re looking for. On our home page, under the calendar, is a Behavioral Health Toolkit, with information about crisis systems, school-based services, medical systems, family support agencies, advocacy opportunities, and more. Within the behavioral health toolkit is a video about best practices for supporting behavior at school. A Functional Behavioral Assessment is called an FBA. That assessment can gather information for schools and families to develop a positive behavior support plan.

The name for that plan is BIP Behavior Intervention Plan. PAVE s video can help families and schools work to make sure the FBA and BIP are unbiased and built to teach a student what they can choose instead of behaviors that are leading to problems. PAVE provides a sample letter requesting an FBA. Look for it within our toolkit of sample letters.

This training is provided by Parent Training and Information (PTI), a program of PAVE. Our non-profit has been helping families in Washington State since 1979. Students, family members, and professionals can get direct assistance by going to our website, wapave.org, and clicking Get Help. We provide language translation options. Your can also leave a message by phone to request help: 800-572-7368. If you need help with the accessibility of any of our resources, please let us know. This slide is a reminder that PAVE is not a legal service agency and cannot provide advocacy, advice or legal representation. Our goal is to empower families by providing information and access to resources.

Thank you for listening and learning today and for being an advocate for someone with unique needs! Remember that it’s not your job to hold up the entire world and that you need time to care for yourself and recharge your batteries. Please practice self-care and make sure your own social-emotional needs are a priority. PAVE is here to help at wapave.org.

Behavioral Health Toolkit for Navigating Crisis, School-Based Services, Medical Services, Family Support Networks, and More

Posted on by Nicol Walsh
Download this Behavioral Health Toolkit


Introduction

When a child struggles to maintain emotional well-being, the whole family is impacted. Parents can feel confused about where to go for help. This toolkit provides an overview of information about crisis response, school-based services, medical systems, family support networks and places to advocate for systemwide improvements. For individualized, non-emergency support, please click Get Help and someone from PAVE will contact you.

Family Voices of Washington, PAVE’s Family-to-Family Health Information Center, is another place for information and resources.

What is Behavioral Health?

Behavioral health is a broad term describing services for people with conditions based in the brain that impact their behavior. People with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance use disorder (SUD), or another condition may require different levels of behavioral health help. Some developmental conditions, such as autism, may impact a person’s behavioral health. A person with more than one condition may have a “dual diagnosis.” The Child Mind Institute is a place for information about childhood symptoms, diagnoses, and options for treatment and support.

Call 988 for Suicide Prevention Lifeline

On July 16, 2022, 988 became the number to call for behavioral health crises. The national 988 network expands the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, also available by calling 800-273-8255.

In 2021, Washington passed a law (HB 1477) to rebuild the crisis response system as part of the 988 rollout. The state’s Crisis Response Improvement Strategy (CRIS) has multiple committees to encourage broad participation in the work.

Unique crisis telephone numbers for each county ultimately will be integrated with the 988 call line. The Health Care Authority (HCA) maintains a list of county crisis phone numbers on a website page titled Mental Health Crisis Lines.

Access to Youth Mobile Crisis services depends on the area in which you live. It’s best to find out what’s available before you need emergency help so you know what you can ask for. An expansion of mobile crisis is an aspect of Washington State’s 988 rollout plan.

More resources for crisis and other help are listed at the end of this article.

Plan ahead for a crisis

If you or someone you care for experiences a behavioral health condition, it’s helpful to develop a crisis plan. Make sure important phone numbers are easy to find quickly.

If calling 911 is your best option because of danger or criminal involvement, clearly state that there is a behavioral health medical crisis and request officers with Crisis Intervention Training (CIT).

TIP: Here’s how to quickly ask for behavioral health help when calling 911: “We need CIT-trained officers to respond to a behavioral health medical emergency.”

How to seek help at school

Often a child’s behavioral health needs show up in school. Students might access services through the special education system or in other ways. PAVE provides a video training called Behavioral Health and School: Key Information for Families.

The process of figuring out why a child may be acting out is called a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA). Information from the FBA is used to develop a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). PAVE provides a video called Behavior and School: How to Participate in the FBA/BIP Process. Any student whose behavior impedes learning can be assessed, not just students with special education programs already in place. To help families initiate this process, PAVE provides a Sample Letter to Request a Functional Behavioral Assessment.

Here’s more important vocabulary: MTSS stands for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. MTSS is based on a public health approach to ensure that schools make student well-being a priority. An MTSS framework can include teaching and social-emotional supports at multiple levels, called tiers. In a school that implements the MTSS framework, adults who teach and support students are organized to respond to the academic and social-emotional needs of all students.

TIP: Ask your school about MTSS and how “tiers” (different levels) of support are organized and available to help your student. You can also ask about your school’s Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum and how SEL education is provided to your student.

PAVE provides a collection of articles about Social Emotional Learning (SEL):

How to seek medical services for children and youth in Washington State

Seattle Children’s Hospital has a behavioral health referral helpline. Families can call 833-303-5437, Monday-Friday, 8-5, to connect with a referral specialist. The service is free for families statewide and provides information regardless of the child’s insurance coverage.

Wraparound with Intensive Services (WISe) is the most intensive outpatient program available for children and youth eligible for Apple Health. Here’s a link to PAVE’s article: WISe Provides Team-Based Services for Washington Youth with Severe Behavioral Health Disorders.

For children on Apple Health who need residential services, the state’s option is the Children’s Long-Term Inpatient Program (CLIP). PAVE provides an article with more information: Children’s Long-Term Inpatient Program (CLIP) Provides Residential Psychiatric Treatment.

If a person ages 15-40 is newly experiencing psychosis, Washington offers a wraparound-style program called New Journeys. This website link includes access to a referral form.

Families who want to better understand how to communicate with a loved one experiencing psychosis can seek resources from the University of Washington Spirit Lab, which operates a Psychosis REACH program to train families in using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to work with their loved one with a mental illness condition that includes delusions and hallucinations.

Family Initiated Treatment

In Washington State, the age for medical consent is 13. Sometimes getting a young person 13-17 into behavioral health treatment includes barriers related to the youth’s inability to see their illness or understand their need for care. Family Initiated Treatment (FIT) is an option in some circumstance. PAVE’s article provides more information about FIT and the law that authorizes it: Adolescent Health Care Act Provides Options for Families Seeking Mental Health and Substance Use Help for Young People Resistant to Treatment.

Federal parity laws require insurers to provide coverage for behavioral health services that are equitable to coverage for physical health conditions. The National Health Law Program (NHLP) provides information and advocacy related to behavioral healthcare access and offers handouts to help families know what to expect from their insurance coverage and what to do if they suspect a parity law violation:

Families with private health insurance who believe their provider has violated parity laws related to behavioral health services can file complaints with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner or call the Consumer Hotline: 800-562-6900.

Family Support

PAVE’s article about WISe includes a section for History, Advocacy, and Family Support. In addition to PAVE, here are some family-serving agencies:

  • Family, Youth, and System Partner Round Table (FYSPRT). Regional groups are a hub for family networking and emotional support. Some have distinct groups for young people.
  • Washington State Community Connectors (WSCC). WSCC sponsors an annual family training weekend, manages an SUD Family Navigator training, and offers ways for families to share their experiences and support one another. With passage of HB 1800 in 2022, WSCC is working with the Health Care Authority to build a statewide website (Parent Portal) to help families navigate behavioral health services.
  • COPE (Center of Parent Excellence) offers support group meetings and direct help from lead parent support specialists as part of a statewide program called A Common Voice.
  • Healthy Minds Healthy Futures is an informal network on Facebook. Advocates in the group initiated work to build the Parent Portal that WSCC (see above) is now working on with the Health Care Authority and other invested stakeholders.  

System work is underway

In 2022, the state passed HB 1890 to create a strategic plan for addressing the behavioral health needs of children, youth transitioning to adulthood, and their caregivers. That work is managed by the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (CYBHWG), created in 2016 by the Legislature (HB 2439). The CYBHWG welcomes family engagement in its activities and meetings. CYBHWG supports several advisory groups, including one for Student Behavioral Health and Suicide Prevention. Meeting schedules and reports are posted on the Health Care Authority (HCA) website. Public comment is included at every public meeting.

The needs are now

When a child or youth is struggling with a behavioral health condition, the available options don’t always meet the needs. Washington State’s 2021 Healthy Youth Survey shows that seven out of ten students in tenth grade report feeling nervous, anxious, on edge, or cannot stop worrying. Eight percent report they tried suicide within the past year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only about half of young people who need behavioral health services get them.

Data from the state’s Healthy Youth Survey show that students with disabilities struggle more than most. Also over-represented among students who say their mental health is a struggle are girls, students from lower income households, and students whose gender or sexuality is non-binary. Non-binary refers to more than two things; it’s a term often used when discussing people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer, or questioning (LGBTQ+). LGBTQ+ youth can seek crisis help and more from The Trevor Project.

“Reports of our children suffering with mental health issues are a worrisome public health concern,” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Washington’s Secretary of Health. “Mental health is a part of our children’s overall health and well-being. It is imperative that we all continue to work together to fully support the whole child by providing information and access to behavioral health resources to youth and the trusted adults in their lives.”

Resources for crisis help and more

Download this Behavioral Toolkit

Behavior and School: How to Participate in the FBA/BIP Process

Posted on by Nicol Walsh

This 2-part training has information about how to support a child’s behavior at school. When behavior gets in the way of learning, schools are responsible to figure out what the child is trying to communicate and to teach the child what to do instead.

PAVE’s accessible, fillable worksheet goes with the videos to help with behavior planning.

The process of figuring out why a child is acting out is called a Functional Behavioral Assessment—FBA for short. The first video in this 2-part series is about the FBA process.

A Behavior Intervention Plan—BIP for short—is a working document that the school and family build together and review regularly to make sure the child is supported with positive reinforcement and encouragement for meeting behavioral expectations. The second video in this 2-part series is about BIP development.

PAVE provides a Sample Letter to Request a Functional Behavioral Assessment to help families formally ask the school to assess their child’s behavior and consider how to thoughtfully build a behavior support plan.

Schools are guided by the state to use best practices when evaluating and serving students with special needs. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is the state educational agency in Washington State. OSPI’s website is k12.wa.us. A page called Model Forms for Services to Students in Special Education has links to downloadable forms schools use to develop IEPs, Section 504 Plans, and more.

Here are links to OSPI’s model forms for:

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