About

The Navigator position is funded and monitored by a WASPC (Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs) grant at this time. The current Navigator is a full-time employee of Discovery Behavioral Health as a Crisis Case Manager, but is stationed at the Sheriff’s office to make responding with Deputies easier.

The purpose of the Navigator position is to provide the Sheriff’s Department with alternative ways to respond to individuals with mental health concerns in the field as it happens, a sort of mental health triage. Having a Navigator allows the Deputies to move on to other cases while the Navigator does any needed follow up care and case management.

The Navigator helps connect people to community resources depending on their needs, ensuring that those who receive help will move beyond their crisis to a more stable and supported position within the community. The Navigator program has been in place since March of 2021. The current Navigator has helped more than 134 people over 220 separate encounters from November 2021 to November 2022.