Providing Psychiatric Inpatient Services

CLIP is the most intensive inpatient psychiatric treatment available to WA State residents, serving youth, ages 5-17 years of age.

What is CLIP?

CLIP is funded by Federal and State Medicaid dollars. Private insurance and other income sources can be billed if applicable. Learn more about eligibility and paying for CLIP.

There are four programs and a total of 109 beds across Washington State.
The programs are located in a secure and highly structured setting designed to assess, treat and stabilize youth diagnosed with psychiatric and behavioral disorders.
Individualized treatment is provided through the use of evidenced based practices designed to increase the youth's skills and adaptive functioning with a focus on reintegration back into a community setting, as quickly as possible.

How to Access CLIP Programs

The CLIP Voluntary Application process begins at the county level through the youth’s/adolescent’s health insurance.

Step 1

Contact the CLIP Liaison in your county (BH-ASO/MCO), whom will start the process for screening.

Step 2

The CLIP Liaison will work with you and your family on next steps needed to complete a CLIP Application/screening.

Step 3

If the local committee determines eligibility is met your child’s application and supplemental materials are sent to the CLIP Administration for determination of medical necessity by the State Certification team.

Who is Eligible?

Youth between the ages of 5-18
Legal residents of Washington State
Applicants must be legal residents of Washington State. This criterion is met if one of the following is true: (a) Applicant is in the custody of the state of Washington or
(b) Applicant is in the custody of his/her legal guardian who is a Washington State resident
Youth diagnosed with a severe psychiatric disorder
Youth possessing a risk to themselves, others or is gravely disabled which warrants care under the supervision of a psychiatrist
Community based mental health resources available in the community did not meet the treatment needs of the youth

What is a Managed Care Organization (MCO)?

Each county in the State of Washington has a designated MCO that has a contract with the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery to administer all public mental health services within their region.

One of the responsibilities of the MCO is to refer children to the CLIP Administration only after a comprehensive assessment of their needs and a concerted effort to provide alternative community based services.

Get Started By Locating Your Local BH-ASO/MCO

Frequently Asked Question

Who pays for CLIP beds?

All children served in a CLIP Program are eligible for Medicaid funding while in residence. If the child has private insurance that covers psychiatric inpatient care, those benefits are also applied to the cost of stay. Read more about Medicaid.

How do I apply?

The voluntary application process is a two-tiered process that begins with contacting your local BH-ASO/MCO representative. If a local decision is made to proceed with a referral to CLIP, the BH-ASO/MCO gathers all the application materialsand contacts the CLIP Administration. The CLIP Administration is the final authority for determining a child’s eligibility for admission.

How long do children stay in a CLIP Program?

Each child’s length of stay varies according to his/her individualneeds and progress toward treatment goals. The average length of stay 9 months. Children are returned to their home/community as soon as possible. The community partners including family, DSHS case worker, therapists, schools, etc., are expected to collaborate with the CLIP Program to assure appropriate discharge resources are in place prior discharge.