Working to Build a Stronger Behavioral Healthcare System in Washington
Date: 04/08/25
TACOMA, Wash. (April 8, 2025) – Ahead of Mental Health Awareness month in May, Coordinated Care, a Washington managed care organization and wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), is sharing some best practices, with tailored programs to serve members with a multi-pronged, innovative approached to whole-person health. Nearly 1 in 5 American Adults have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year, according to Mental Health America, varying from anxiety and depression to bipolar or substance use disorders.
Following the pandemic, more people than ever before reached the point of a behavioral health crisis, and Coordinated Care responded to those local needs to create solutions, including:
- Providing over $1.1 million in grants for providers to recruit, train and expand the behavioral health workforce.
- Offering free trainings to providers, with over 200 community-based providers getting trained by Coordinated Care staff for Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
- Investing to increase the number of specialized behavioral health telehealth providers to make care more accessible.
- Supporting nearly 1,000 first generation, BIPOC and underrepresented students pursuing careers in healthcare with our Community Scholarship.
"We really look at the comprehensive, holistic approach to bridge the gap between physical and behavioral health—offering specialized programs design to serve Washington’s diverse and complex populations," said Coordinated Care President and CEO Beth Johnson. "Our programs include evidence-based practices like our Choose Tomorrow Zero Suicide program, and our Zero Overdose program that proactively identifies members at heightened risk of overdose and facilitates safety planning, resources and intervention."
This approach to serving members is in addition to the innovative partnerships Coordinated Care has developed to reach even more community members and improve health outcomes statewide.
"Without Coordinated Care, we wouldn’t have been able to open our expanded clinic, the first Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) in Pierce County," said Kim Zacher, CEO of Comprehensive Life Resources. "This integrated facility allows clients to receive mental health, substance use, medical and dental services in one setting, and we are so thankful that Coordinated Care was the first organization to invest in this project."
Coordinated Care collaborates with local partners to expand access to quality care statewide, for nearly 13 years. Learn more about Coordinated Care’s commitment to Washington: CoordinatedCareHealth.com/WA-first.
About Coordinated Care
Coordinated Care provides free and low-cost health insurance coverage to more than 300,000 Medicaid, foster care, Medicare and marketplace members across Washington, with more than 47,000 providers in-network. Coordinated Care is committed to transforming the health of the community one person at a time. They treat the whole person by breaking down barriers to accessing care, walking members through their benefits, and connecting them to the care they need. Coordinated Care is a Washington managed care organization and wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise committed to helping people live healthier lives.
To learn more about our efforts in to strengthen Washington’s behavioral healthcare system, visit www.CoordinatedCareHealth.com/WA-first. For further information about how Coordinated Care invests in solutions impacting healthcare, visit CoordinatedCarehealth.com/about-us/community.