Grants from the Washington State Department of Commerce will fund several projects that will help people with behavioral health issues receive local treatment services.
Commerce officials will distribute $47 million to fund 25 projects through its Behavioral Health Facilities program. Grant recipients were awarded funds after submitting applications that were based on plans specifically aimed at providing behavioral health-related amenities, Commerce Project Manager Matt Mazur-Hart said. Grants will fund three different types of projects.
“They can purchase land and build a new community treatment facility, renovate a building into a new behavioral health facility, or add on to a behavioral health facility they already operate,” Mazur-Hart said. “Providers can apply for funds to do any of the above as long as they increase service capacity.”
The projects will create more than 300 new patient beds and expand outpatient care capacity in nine counties.
The projects support Gov. Jay Inslee’s five-year plan to modernize and transform the state’s mental health system, which aims to end civil patient placements at large hospitals in favor of smaller community-based facilities, giving those who need treatment more local options for services.
“We’re looking to fund facilities that are able to help people transition out of the state hospitals or divert from large hospitals,” Mazur-Hart said. “Treatment comes when they’re in their community with family around. It aligns with the state’s goal and provides more treatment options closer to home. They can stay in the community and come and go to work.”
Commerce will have funding in the 2022 supplemental budget for additional projects, Mazur-Hart said. The next round of grants will be awarded with a focus on crisis stabilization facilities.
“We’ll have another funding round in July for that,” Mazur-Hart said. “I think we’re going to have close to $50 million to award out. Our goal is eight projects, with two for youths. These will be to provide a diversion from going to the emergency department or police interaction; to have a crisis stabilization center to go to when they’re in crisis. That’s been identified as a need for our state.”
The current funding round went to projects in Benton, Chelan, Clark, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, and Spokane counties.
The following projects were funded through Commerce:
- In Benton County, Aristo Healthcare Services for the Tri-City Intensive Behavioral Health project in Kennewick received nearly $2.3 million; the county’s Three Rivers Behavioral Health Recovery Center in Kennewick received $1.9 million; Three Rivers Therapy for the Three Rivers Therapy Children’s Behavioral Health Center in Kennewick received nearly $1.9 million; and Three Rivers Therapy for the Three Rivers Therapy Respite Center in Kennewick received $970,000
- In Chelan County, Lake Chelan Senior Housing for the Heritage Heights at Lake Chelan Renovation received $1 million
- In Clark County, Family Solutions for the Family Solutions/New Integrated Health Center in Vancouver received $1.9 million
- In King County, the Recovery Innovations for the RI International South King County Crisis Receiving Center in Federal Way received $2.5 million; The Emily Program for the Eating Disorder Behavioral Health Facility in Bellevue received $2.3 million; and the Sea Mar Community Health Centers for the Sea Mar CHC Renacer Treatment Facility in Seattle received $1.3 million
- In Kitsap County, One Heart Wild in Silverdale received nearly $330,000
- In Pierce County, Supreme Capital Holdings for the Tacoma Intensive Behavioral Health Treatment project received nearly $2.3 million; Kinsman Care for the Sumner 40-bed assisted living facility project in Sumner received $2.3 million; Reliance Senior Housing Fund for the Reliance ESF project in Tacoma received nearly $1.9 million; and the Christ the King Community Outreach for King’s Manor Senior Living community expansion project in Tacoma received $1 million
- In Skagit County, Pacific Healthcare for the Pacific Health Evaluation and Treatment Center in Sedro-Wooley received nearly $2.5 million; Sowe Healthcare Consulting in Mount Vernon received $2.4 million; and Sowe Healthcare Consulting for the Sowe Healthcare Regional Needs project in Mount Vernon received $2.3 million
- In Snohomish County, the county’s Public Disposal Hospital District No. 1 for the EvergreenHealth Monroe project in Monroe received nearly $2.5 million; Recovery Innovations for the city of Lynnwood Community Resource Center received $1.9 million; and the Helping Hands Project Organization in Everett received $985,000
- In Spokane County, Relief Health for the Relief Health Evaluation and Treatment Center in Spokane received nearly $2.5 million; Relief Health for Relief Health Intensive Behavioral Treatment in Spokane received nearly $2.3 million; Greenacres Residential Care in Spokane received nearly $1.9 million; and Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane received $1.75 million