Accessing Key Resources

Toll-free, statewide child and family health Information and Referral Line from WithinReach. Get connected to services in your community including free or low-cost health insurance, food resources, immunizations, breastfeeding support, family planning services, parenting support, child development screening services, and many other social and health programs, including information for children with special health care needs. Access to interpretive service for 50 languages.

Hotline (Hours: Monday to Thursday 8:00am to 5:30pm, Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm)
1-800 322-2588 or 1-800-833-6388 (TTY relay)

Want to look for resources yourself and apply for programs for which you are eligible? Search the ParentHelp123 website to find services available through the Help Me Grow Washington Hotline. The Call Center staff is the same for the Help Me Grow Washington Hotline and ParentHelp123- Call if you want help finding out if your family qualifies for programs and filling out applications on-line.

Hotline: 1-866-585-1123

English: http://www.parenthelp123.org/

En Español (Spanish): http://www.parenthelp123.org/es/

WIN 2-1-1 – Washington Information Network 211
Access the 2-1-1 Community Resources Database to find information and referrals for health and human service providers in your community. If you do not find the service you need, please dial 2-1-1from anywhere in Washington to speak to a 2-1-1 Information and Referral Specialist for assistance. Or call toll free 1-877-211-WASH (9274).

The Department of Early Learning’s (DEL) Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program provides services to children birth to age 3 who have disabilities or developmental delays. Eligible infants and toddlers and their families are entitled to individualized, quality early intervention services in accordance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C.

In Washington, referrals to early intervention services are provided through Local Lead Agencies. Family Resources Coordinators help families access the early intervention services their child may need. They also help families get a free developmental screening and suggest other community resources.

• Lead Family Resources Coordinator and Local Lead Agency in your county.
• Additional information about screening and early intervention services in WA

Special education is the provision of specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of an eligible student in order to allow him or her to make progress toward the state standards.  Eligible special education students from ages three to twenty-one are entitled to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).

Eligibility for special education is determined by the Evaluation Team.  The Evaluation Team members include parents, educators, and individuals that have specific information relevant to the childs education.

Eligibility is determined when a student meets the following:

• The student has been identified as having a disability (ies).
• The disability (ies) adversely affects the students educational performance.
• The request for testing to determine if a child qualifies to receive special education must be made in writing.

It is a good idea to direct the request both to a district staff member at the building level (school psychologist or special education teacher) and to your district’s special education director at the administrative level.

• More information about Special Education
  The student requires specially designed instruction in order to access the general education curriculum.
  Statewide directory of school officials

CSHCN Coordinators are public health nurses in local health departments who can assist families who have children with special needs (in most counties from birth to age 18).CSHCN Coordinators can:

• Help families access needed services for their child, such as medical care and other interventions.
• Refer families to health insurance programs and information, both private insurance and the state funded Medicaid program.
• Help families support each other through parent support organizations.
• Help with concerns such as feeding, nutrition, growth, development and behavior.
• Provide screening and assessment for your child.

How to Make a CSHCN Referral and County Contact Info

Note: Most county CSHCN Coordinators can provide at least phone consultation and some are able to do home visits.
Go directly to the website of your local public health department or district

RideSourceNW.org can help you or clients and patients get to where you need to go using a variety of transportation options from the bus to vehicles equipped to handle specialized mobility needs.  Explore the different options anywhere in Washington State.

Get additional assistance navigating SourceNW.org  or combine your transportation search with community resources (such as food, housing assistance programs, etc.). Dial 2-1-1 from your home phone or mobile device.

The purpose of RideSourceNW is to:

• Compile Washington’s community and specialized transportation options;
• Link passengers throughout the Northwest with transportation options to meet their own unique needs;
• Connect passengers and social and community service agencies to their region’s Mobility Management & Travel Training professionals;
• Assist social services, transportation providers, and public agencies in coordinating transportation trips and services;
• Promote coordination among mobility managers, travel trainers, and community and specialized transportation providers.

RideSourceNW is a program of Community Transportation Association of the Northwest (CTANW). 

CTANW’s mission is to bring together organizations, agencies, groups and individuals engaged in providing, developing and sustaining community transportation programs to enhance mobility and equalize opportunity for people with a variety of specialized transportation needs.

Washington’s Mental Health Referral Service for Children and Teens connects patients and families with evidence-supported outpatient mental health services in their community. This free, telephone-based referral service is funded by Washington Healthcare Authority and operated by Seattle Children’s.

The Mental Health Referral Service will provide thorough mental health referrals for children and teens 17 and younger from across Washington.

How do families access Washington’s Mental Health Referral Service for Children and Teens?

Families can call 833-303-5437, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time, to connect with a referral specialist.  They will ask you for information including the patient’s mental health needs, location and health insurance plan.

See Washington’s Mental Health Referral Service for Children and Teens website for more information including:

• what families and patients can expect,
• how the service works with primary care providers
• how the referral service identifies mental health providers and more

• Parent to Parent – Statewide parent network providing emotional support and information to parents who have children with disabilities or developmental delays. 1-800-821-5927.  P2P State Map.
• Fathers Network – Advocates for and provides support and resources for all men and families who have children with special needs.
• PAVE (Partnerships for Action Voices for Empowerment) – Statewide parent training and information center providing assistance to families who children with disabilities, ages birth through adulthood. 1-800-5 PARENT
• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) – WA State and Local Chapters – provide support, education, information and referral and advocacy for consumers, families, and friends of people with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic and other severe anxiety disorders, autism and pervasive developmental disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and other severe and persistent mental illnesses that affect the brain.

A free service of the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner providing a statewide network of trained volunteers who educate, assist and advocate for consumers about their rights and options regarding health insurance and health care access.

• Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) HelpLine

Telephone – 24-hour, toll-free referral hot line at:  1-800-562-6900.