Editor’s observe: The Psychological Well being Mission is a Seattle Occasions initiative targeted on protecting psychological and behavioral well being points. It’s funded by Ballmer Group, a nationwide group targeted on financial mobility for kids and households. The Seattle Occasions maintains editorial management over work produced by this crew. As a part of this challenge, editorial author Alex Fryer has been inspecting points associated to behavioral well being and substance use problems.
When King County introduced this month {that a} Kirkland psychological well being facility would change into part of the network of 5 levy-funded disaster care facilities, it described the transfer as a “main milestone within the voter-approved, transformational funding to increase entry to behavioral well being care.”
Not so quick.
In 2023, voters accepted the Disaster Care Facilities levy, elevating property taxes by $1.25 billion over 9 years. Throughout King County, a house owner with a property valued on the median of $694,000 is ready to pay about $121 extra yearly in taxes.
The centerpiece of the plan was 5 regional facilities that would offer walk-in entry and the potential for short-term stays to assist folks stabilize.
On the time, The Occasions editorial board supported the Disaster Care Facilities levy as a approach to assist fill the pressing want for behavioral well being providers of all sorts. Recognizing that public works tasks usually ship lower than initially envisioned, we issued a warning after the measure handed.
“That is what voters have been anticipating: 5 new disaster care facilities in King County, as promised. Not two. Not three. No excuses that development prices have been increased than anticipated, or it was robust to get permits or communities have been much less welcoming than boosters anticipated them to be.”
As voters thought-about the Disaster Care Facilities levy, the cities of Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Shoreline and Kenmore had already made their very own plans to construct a middle in Kirkland. Operated by a non-public behavioral well being firm, Connections Well being Options, the Kirkland middle acquired county funds for development together with grants from the state Division of Commerce.
As The Occasions reported, the Kirkland middle hoped to serve as much as 14,000 adults per yr. Within the first three months, it served just over 500. The corporate believed its census would develop if extra folks knew it was an out there possibility for these in disaster.
It’s advantageous that King County has now subsumed the Kirkland facility. However voters have each proper to demand that the county proceed to construct 5 further new facilities as promised. And discuss of hitting a milestone is untimely.
“I’m thrilled to see that the primary middle is opening earlier than schedule, bringing much-needed disaster care and restoration providers to King County residents,” stated King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay in a information launch in regards to the Kirkland announcement.
That’s a stretch. As an alternative of self-congratulations, King County officers ought to do extra to guarantee voters that they may obtain 5 new facilities as promised, and that they may meet group calls for as predicted.
Merely put: Don’t spike the ball earlier than crossing the aim line.
