A family walking in the park

Mental Health CareConnect

Mental Health CareConnect (MHCC) is a free, confidential service providing consultation about non-crisis mental health questions or concerns. The service is staffed by mental health navigators and psychiatrists from the UW Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.  

Contact MHCC to see if you are eligible for this program.

MHCC overview

What can MHCC help with?

No concern is too big or too small. We can:

  • Assist with finding community mental health resources based on your needs and preferences
  • Answer your questions about medications, treatment and mental health in general
  • Discuss options to help if you have a family member in need
  • Coordinate with your primary care provider

This service is not a crisis or suicide hotline. If you or a family member is suicidal or in crisis, you should call 911. You may also contact the National Suicide Prevention Line by phone at 1-800-273-8255 or on the National Suicide Prevention Line website (suicidepreventionlifeline.org).

When is it available?

MHCC is available Mon. – Fri. from 8:00am to 5:00pm* PT by phone, text, or chat.

Contact MHCC at 206.520.CARE (2273) or chat with us by clicking on the purple icon.

Mental Health CareConnect is an additional behavioral health service and does not replace or alter your mental health and substance use disorder benefits that are administered through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois or services available via the Boeing Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

*Calls, texts, or web chats received after 4:30pm on business days, or received on weekends and holidays, will be responded to on our next business day.

How much does it cost?

MHCC is free! This confidential service is available at no cost to you or your insurance plan.

Contact MHCC to see if you are eligible for this program.

MHCC providers


Stephanie Chang, MD

Stephanie Chang, MD, says Mental Health CareConnect is a terrific way for people who are wavering about getting mental health care to try it out.


Amanda Focht, MD

Amanda Focht, MD, is an Adult Psychiatrist well-versed in both medication and face-to-face therapies.


Robert Hilt, MD

Child psychiatrist and pediatrician Robert Hilt, MD, prides himself on helping families deal with any mental and behavioral health problems that arise.


Ryan Kimmel, MD

Ryan Kimmel, MD, talks about how psychiatrists can help people learn coping skills to feel better and improve their functioning.


Richard Ries, MD

Addiction Psychiatrist Richard Ries, MD, brings a wealth of experience in seeing patients of all kinds to Mental Health CareConnect.

Frequently asked questions

No. We do not share any information with your employer that could identify you in any way. We also do not communicate any information about the nature of your questions, what was discussed, or the call or text itself.

We believe wellness is more than just physical health. We want to support Boeing employees and their families by providing quicker and more convenient access to mental health care, consultation, and resources.

When you connect with a provider through Mental Health CareConnect, you will speak to a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists have earned a medical degree (MD or DO) and specialize in assessing and treating mental health conditions. They are well-versed in medications and can make recommendations about types of therapy that could help with treatment. All of the adult and pediatric psychiatrists who are part of Mental Health CareConnect have extensive experience in common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, and many specialize in specific conditions (e.g. bipolar disorder, addictions) and populations (e.g. children and adolescents, adults and/or older adults).

If a child (under the age of 18) reaches out, our policy is to talk to you or you and your child together, but we do not speak with minors alone.

Follow-up phone calls or texts to Mental Health CareConnect will not be charged. If you get help from our Mental Health Navigator with locating ongoing care, the community resources you ultimately connect with would be billed to your insurance just like regular healthcare appointments.

There is no limit to how many times you can use Mental Health CareConnect. However, if you reach out multiple times and we do not seem to be helping or meeting your goals, or if you need additional care, our providers may advise you to follow up with the community resources we have suggested.

If you or a family member are in crisis, are suicidal, homicidal, or otherwise at imminent risk, you should call the national suicide prevention lifeline (800-273-8255), call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. Mental Health CareConnect is not a crisis or suicide hotline, is not a substitute for an emergency room, and cannot coordinate ER visits, psychiatric hospitalization, or law enforcement intervention.

Yes. You may leave a confidential message after hours and a Mental Health Navigator will get back to you within one business day.

While we cannot address the specific case of a friend or colleague with you, we can provide general information about helpful resources in the community.

The Boeing Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a confidential service designed to connect Boeing employees and their families with experienced counseling professionals for help with personal and family issues. It provides up to six counseling sessions per issue, per calendar year, at no cost to employees or their eligible dependents. The program also offers WorkLife referrals such as childcare, eldercare, legal and financial advice, and access to helpful online articles. For more detailed information, please visit http://www.achievesolutions.net/boeing, or call 866-719-5788.

Mental Health CareConnect provides Boeing employees and their families in Washington State free telephone consultations with UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital psychiatrists for non-crisis mental health conditions and concerns. These consultations may address things such as mental health treatment options (including medication and therapy), talking through what support might be needed, and possible coordination of care with primary care providers. Additionally, a Mental Health Navigator can assist with locating community resources with current availability if you are interested in getting ongoing care. Consultation with a psychiatrist and the search services of the Mental Health Navigator are provided at no cost to the employee, and the insurance plan will not be billed. Care with a community provider is billed to your insurance as a typical healthcare visit would be.

When you call or text, you will be connected with our Mental Health Navigator who will collect your insurance information (please have your subscriber ID #, which is on your insurance card), register you if you are not already a UW Medicine patient (this can take about 10 minutes for new patients), and schedule you for a consultation with a psychiatrist. Connection to the psychiatrist is sometimes the same day but can be up to two business days later.