Adolescent Behavioral Health Referral Process

Adolescent Behavioral Health at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital provides inpatient care for teens 13-17 with a referral from an emergency department. We accept patients for voluntary, involuntary and family-initiated treatment.

We accept referrals 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An intake nurse monitors the referral line Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5pm. After hours and on weekends, the charge nurse will carry the intake phone and screen referrals with our provider.

To make a referral, call our referral intake number: 253-403-0556. Please note the following referral requirements:

• Patients must be medically cleared before they arrive. The information is reviewed by the intake or charge nurse and then presented to our provider for admission.
• Insurance authorization must be obtained by the sending facility.
• For involuntary patients, the same referral process applies, but a court order must also be included; Adolescent Behavioral Health at Tacoma General Hospital must be listed on the order.

All patients must meet the following criteria to be admitted to our inpatient unit:

• Be accepted by the admitting provider and have a primary psychiatric diagnosis
• Have a negative COVID-19 test result prior to arrival on the unit
• Receive medical clearance from a primary care or urgent care provider, as well as transportation the same day
• Arrive via secure medical transport; patients are not permitted to be transported via private vehicles
• Be admitted on a voluntary basis by signing themselves in; on an involuntary basis under the Involuntary Treatment Act; or via family-initiated treatment