History
The UW, along with jurisdictions all over the United States, has been engaged in a reevaluation of response to individuals in acute mental health crisis in its spaces. Students, staff and faculty at UW have long advocated for an intervention team separate from law enforcement.
The Division of Campus Community Safety worked with Student Life units to create a new team of mental health crisis responders for the Seattle campus called Husky Assist. The goal is to have a skilled team available to immediately and effectively respond to calls involving someone experiencing an acute mental health crisis in a Seattle campus space.
Mobile crisis response
Mobile mental/behavioral health crisis response is a growing trend movement on college campuses as a way to add professional mental health workers to 911 response options. At the UW, the effort is part of the ongoing work to reimagine safety and safety services. UW joins UC Berkeley, Oregon State University and many others in adding mobile crisis response for students, staff and faculty.
Mental health needs can be ongoing and may need more help than Husky Assist can provide alone. Husky Assist works with on- and off-campus partners, including UW’s Counseling Center, Husky Health Center, Student Life Care Team, SafeCampus and others to help formulate a plan for ongoing help if needed. Managing mental health issues can feel isolating, and it can be hard to know where to turn for help. Collectively, we want to make the process of accessing care easier.
Media coverage
Seattle Times, December 26, 2024: “UW plans to launch mental health crisis response team this spring”
Seattle Times January 8, 2025: “Editorial: UW mental health crisis team will be welcome addition to campus life“