Behavioral health care closer to home

State provides funding to help thousands more people in Washington state access behavioral health care closer to home

State grants are part of Inslee plan to add capacity and serve a wide variety of needs locally, including intensive behavioral health facilities, dementia care, and other specialized needs.

OLYMPIA, WA –Today the Washington State Department of Commerce awarded 22 projects a total of $33.8 million in grants to support 395 new beds and outpatient services that will assist people with a wide variety of behavioral health needs and offer local community placements for people leaving Eastern and Western State Hospitals.

These grants support Gov. Jay Inslee’s five-year plan to modernize and transform Washington’s mental health system, with the goal of ending civil patient placements at the state’s large hospitals by 2023 in favor of smaller, community-based facilities.

“Our plan to transform Washington state’s behavioral health system is well underway. This funding supports our effort to ensure Washingtonians can access the care they need, close to their home and close to their loved ones,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “I appreciate legislators and local leaders for their continued collaboration to make sure we invest in the right kind of care for those who need it.”

“We’ve already been grappling with the challenge of more people needing mental or chemical dependency care than we have beds and space available. The isolation and impact of COVID-19 is making that challenge even more urgent,” said Commerce Director Lisa Brown. “These grants help strengthen communities’ response by opening up more opportunities for people to receive specialized care locally, in a setting that is closer to familiar support systems they count on.”

Grants were awarded as follows: 

Intensive Behavioral Health Facilities

• Comprehensive Mental Health of Tacoma Pierce County – $1.96 million, 16 beds in Tacoma

• Cascade Investing, LLC – $1.61 million, 16 beds in Chewelah

• Aristo Healthcare Services – $1.96 million, 16 beds in Renton

Specialized Dementia Care Facilities

• 6th Avenue Senior Living, LLC – $612,500, 41 beds in Tacoma

• North Baker Property, LLC – $1.92 million, 54 beds in Wenatchee

• Sowe Healthcare Consulting – $1.96 million, 24 beds in Burlington

• Cascade Investing, LLC – $1.61 million, 32 beds in Chewelah

• Americare, LLC – $1.96 million, 40 beds in Pasco

Peer Respites

• Passages Family Support – $1.22 million, 4 beds in Spokane

• Lucid Living – $588,258, 4 beds in Olympia

• Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Health and Human Services – $1.96 million, 32 beds in Keller

90-180 Day Long Term Civil Commitment Facilities

• Recovery Innovations, Inc. – $1.96 million, 16 beds in Federal Way

• Thurston Mason BH-ASO – $1.54 million, 6 beds in Tumwater

• SHC Medical Center, Toppenish/Astria Toppenish Hospital – $1.96 million, 10 beds in Toppenish

• Unity Evaluation and Treatment Center, LLC – $1.85 million, 16 beds in Marysville

Enhanced Services Facilities

• Respect Nursing Care – $1.94 million,16 beds in Everett

• Emerald City Enhanced Services, LLC – $1.96 million, 16 beds in Lakewood

Projects that Address Regional Needs

• Excelsior - $1.96 million for outpatient services in Spokane

• Holman Recovery Center/Grandview Homes – $749,700 for substance abuse treatment, 36 beds in Arlington

• Community Integrated Health Services, LLC – $686,000 for outpatient services in Longview

• Lutheran Community Services Northwest – $510,803 for outpatient services in Kennewick

• Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital – $1.30 million for outpatient services in Yakima

Grant recipients were selected through a competitive process conducted by Commerce in partnership with the Department of Health, Department of Social and Health Services and the state Health Care Authority. The funds may be used for construction, acquisition and equipment costs associated with establishing the facilities, and the grantees must maintain the facility for at least 15 years. This state funding will leverage an additional $30.5 million in construction investment from other public and private sources.

These grants are the final two rounds of 2019-2021 state funding for behavioral health facilities. Commerce awarded over $12.3 million in January and $23 million in May this year, bringing the total capital grants for behavioral health facilities to approximately $70 million. 

The Excelsior Integrated Care Center serves children and young people under the age of 21 in Spokane County. A $4.4 million grant from previous rounds of behavioral health facilities funding combined with other sources of private and local funding to build the new 48-bed center and increase Excelsior’s capacity to provide crisis stabilization and treatment, secure withdrawal management, intensive inpatient care and diversion programs.

“We appreciate the state’s partnership in helping bring our vision for Excelsior’s Integrated Care Center to fruition. We share great pride in completing a project of this magnitude, which has significantly increased our ability to serve children and minor youth in Spokane County,” said Scott Davis, Excelsior Chief Operating Officer.

Learn more about all of Commerce's Community Capital Facilities funding programs here.