Behavioral Health Wellness, Prevention, and Early Intervention

Pierce County seeks proposals for wellness, prevention, and early intervention behavioral health services that strengthen whole-person care and reduce reliance on crisis and inpatient systems. Services should support individual and family services, improve access for underserved communities, enhance services, and implement strategies that prevent behavioral health crises.

Proposers must be either a Behavioral Health Agency (BHA) providing wellness, prevention, and/or early intervention services or a faith-based organization providing wellness, prevention, and/or early intervention services or a community agency employing licensed behavioral health providers who will provide services under this proposal. If your project is not providing wellness, prevention, and early intervention services, please go to the Peer Services, Services for Justice-Involved Adults, Shelter and Housing Support Services, Youth and School-Based Services, and/or Outpatient and Community-Based Services RFPs, as applicable. Please see the Solicitations and Competitive Bids page.

This procurement is aligned with the Pierce County Behavioral Health Improvement Plan (BHIP), the Pierce County Council's Behavioral Heath Focus Areas, and the Pierce County's 2026-2027 behavioral health funding priorities.

All agencies may apply for funding through the Pierce County Behavioral Health and Therapeutic Courts (BHTC) Tax program. Proposed projects that serve more than one geographic area of the county will be given priority. Projects located in the City of Tacoma and serving only Tacoma residents must receive City of Tacoma funding.

Pierce County is particularly interested in proposals that leverage partnerships across systems of care; and demonstrate measurable improvements in stability, access, and long-term outcomes for diverse populations, including survivors of domestic violence (DV).

In December 2020, the Pierce County Council passed Ordinance 2020-138 , authorizing a 1/10th of 1% Behavioral Health and Therapeutic Courts Tax (BHTC) in accordance with RCW 82.14.460 . The BHTC fund was established for the purpose of improving the quality of life for Pierce County residents and decreasing criminal justice system costs and emergency department use by reducing negative outcomes associated with untreated mental health and substance use disorders.

Pierce County is committed to fostering long-term wellness and resilience among its residents by investing in a full continuum of behavioral health care. This includes not only treatment for acute needs but also proactive, community-based supports that address behavioral health concerns before they escalate.

The County recognizes that individuals with co-occurring disorders and those navigating transitional life stages benefit significantly from early interventions. These services reduce the need for system-level involvement and help individuals maintain stability and well-being in their communities.

To that end, Pierce County seeks to strengthen its prevention and early intervention infrastructure through this procurement. The County is particularly focused on expanding access to community-driven approaches that promote mental and emotional wellness. This includes education to increase awareness and reduce stigma, early screening and identification of behavioral health concerns, and timely support services for youth, families, and survivors of domestic violence. All services must reflect the diversity of the communities served.