At DSHS, our House of Health and Human Services priorities are the driving force behind our agency’s Strategic Plan goals. Each administration contributes to shaping our DSHS Strategic Plan.
Building 21st Century Care
This page showcases Behavioral Health Administration's specific goals, along with action plans and success measures. From high-quality in-home care providers to safe and protected facility settings, the power of choice for elders and people with disabilities in Washington state is bright.
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BHA Strategic Goals
In the strategic planning process, we identify three key components.
- The Strategic Goals: Sets the goal that we are striving to achieve.
- The Action Plan: Our action strategies to get there.
- The Success Measure: The outcome to achieve a goal.
Read in detail below about all the components of BHA’s strategic goals. Take a look at BHA’s Strategic Plan Metrics here.
Strategic plan index: Jump to a section of the plan by clicking the Strategic Goal (SG)
- Modernize and continuously improve behavioral health treatment for Washingtonians in BHA care.
- Promote a culture of safety for staff and patients in our care.
- Create an effective continuum of care through BHA supports and services.
- Be an Employer of Choice.
- Advance comprehensive structural and behavioral transformation to become a proactive-equity and anti-racist [PEAR] agency.
Strategic Goal #1: Modernize and continuously improve behavioral health treatment for Washingtonians in BHA care.
The Action Plan:
- Collaboratively prepare patients to successfully transition back to their communities.
- Implement the most clinically appropriate and evidence-based care and treatment for all BHA patients.
- Continue to expand BHA’s footprint and modernize existing facilities.
- Increase standardization and modernize patient care through the implementation of IT solutions to include an electronic health record system.
- Decrease the use of seclusion and restraint within all BHA facilities.
Success Measure:
1.1: Increase vocational programming at BHA facilities by July 2026.
1.2: Expand trauma informed care training and practices across BHA by June 2027.
1.3: Seek appropriate accreditation in new and existing BHA facilities by December 2027.
1.4: Implement an IT Solution that ties existing BHA systems together ensuring quality data and storage by December 2025.
1.5: Implement an electronic health record system across BHA by December 2027.
1.6: Decrease the use of seclusion and restraint by 10% from FY2023 to FY2025.
Strategic Goal #2: Promote a culture of safety for staff and patients in our care.
The Action Plan:
- Decrease patient-to-staff assaults and patient-to-patient injuries across BHA.
- Improve staff safety by increasing evidence-based de-escalation training compliance and introducing micro training opportunities.
Success Measure:
2.1: Decrease staff assaults and patient injuries by 10% from FY2023 to FY2025.
2.2: Increase staff Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) or other evidence-based de-escalation training compliance to 90% by July 2026.
Strategic Goal #3: Create an effective continuum of care through BHA supports and services.
The Action Plan:
- Increase behavioral health diversion programs.
- Improve timeliness of behavioral health services.
- Manage bed capacity to adjust for changes in demand for different behavioral health services.
Success Measure:
3.1: Increase the number of yearly participants in state-funded prosecutorial diversion programs by 10% from FY2023 to FY2025.
3.2: Maintain the time from court order to admission for inpatient competency restoration at 7 days or less indefinitely.
3.3: Increase the number of jail-based evaluations completed within 14 days to 90% by FY2025.
3.4: Complete court-ordered civil evaluations at 99% by July 2025.
3.5: 90% of clinically eligible civilly committed individuals at the state hospitals will be referred to community providers for early engagement and education on available discharge options and community resources.
Strategic Goal #4: Be an Employer of Choice.
The Action Plan:
- Recruit a broad and diverse workforce.
- Implement standard organizational change management tools and practices.
- Expand and support staff development and training opportunities.
- Retain staff and implement succession planning efforts to promote from within.
Success Measure:
4.1: Implement stay interviews across BHA by July 2025.
4.2: Increase the percentage of positive responses on the DSHS Employee Engagement Survey question, “I feel supported during organizational change at this agency”, from 36% to 50% by 2027.
4.3: Increase the percent of positive responses on the DSHS Employee Engagement Survey question, “my agency provides me with opportunity for learning and development,” from 53% to 57% by 2027.
4.4: Offer 5-7 staff training or continuing education opportunities through the BHA Learning and Development Council each year by July 2025.
Strategic Goal #5: Advance comprehensive structural and behavioral transformation to become a proactive-equity and anti-racist (PEAR) agency.
The Action Plan:
- Advance a culture that weaves EDAI into the fabric of leadership, process, and employee development.
- Build a sense of belonging for all staff.
- Increase culturally appropriate services for all BHA patients and residents.
Success Measure:
5.1: Increase the percentage of positive responses on the DSHS Employee Engagement Survey question “Senior leadership at my agency are genuinely committed to attracting, developing, and keeping a diverse workforce”, from 49% to 55% by July 2026.
5.2: Increase the percentage of positive responses on the DSHS Employee Engagement Survey question, “I feel as if I belong at my agency”, from 57% to 65% by July 2026.
5.3: Increase the percent of BHA patients who agree or strongly agree that their cultural, spiritual, and religious beliefs are respected from 45% to 55% by December 2026.