Friends and neighbors,
We all want communities that are safe, vibrant, and supportive as we raise kids, pursue careers, or grow old. Unfortunately, people and communities across the state, and the nation, are suffering. The substance use disorder crisis is hurting everyone in some way. This is happening due to a lack of facilities and trained professionals to provide the services our neighbors need.
One of the ways we are improving this is through the construction of the University of Washington (UW) Center for Behavioral Health & Learning at UW Medical Center’s Northwest Campus. Located right here in the 46thlegislative district, this facility will drastically expand the number of beds our community has for treating substance use disorder. It will also be a world class training center to help educate behavioral health service professionals, so our communities have the workforce they need to help our neighbors suffering from substance use disorder. Fortunately, the Center for Behavioral Health & Learning is slated to open in 2024.
This session, we also passed House Bill 1724, which directly reduces workforce barriers, expands practice settings for holders of probationary licenses, reduces supervised hour requirements and costs for social workers, and provides future recommendations to reduce workforce shortages.
Finally, we made some important Capital Budget investments this session to help build behavioral health facilities across the state. These include:
- $77.9 million in competitive grants for community behavioral services, with $18 million specifically for facilities that serve children.
- $13.4 million for the Rising Strong project, which will provide family-centered drug treatment and supportive housing for at least 24 households in Western Washington.
- $133.1 million for local facilities including crisis diversion, secure detox, and adolescent services.
We are not going to turn the tide on the substance use disorder crisis unless we have enough capacity to treat those who have this illness. We need more beds and more professionals trained to help. That is why I am proud to have supported legislation to improve our behavioral health response and will continue to prioritize expanding our behavioral health capacity as we move forward.
As always, please reach out with any thoughts, suggestions, or questions.
Thank you,
Rep. Gerry Pollet