State awards $5.5 million to increase number of short-term psychiatric care beds
The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced $5.539 million in grants to seven health care providers to develop additional facilities for short-term inpatient psychiatric detention services. The state’s investment is supported with another $93.3 million from other funding sources.
The grant recipients are:
- Jefferson County Public Hospital District No.2 – Port Townsend, $1.509 million
- Providence Mount Carmel Hospital – Colville, $2.0 million
- Rainier Springs, LLC – Vancouver, $5,000
- Spokane Springs, LLC – Spokane Valley, $5,000
- US HealthVest – Marysville, $10,000
- US HealthVest – Olympia, $10,000
- Walla Walla General Hospital – Walla Walla, $2.0 million
The funds are for construction and equipment costs associated with establishing facilities needed to accommodate increased psychiatric admissions as a result of changes to Washington State’s Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA) that took effect in 2012. Patients treated are individuals with a mental disorder who may be gravely disabled or pose a danger to themselves or others, and who refuse or are unable to enter treatment on their own.
The grants were awarded through a competitive process conducted by Commerce, the Washington State Department of Health and Department of Social and Health Services. The projects must maintain the beds or facility for the intended use for at least 10 years.
The Thurston-Mason project is new construction, while the other projects will repurpose existing facilities. Mental health bed grants are for hospitals or other entities to establish new short-term detention services through the publicly funded mental health system such as:
- Community hospital inpatient psychiatric beds
- Free-standing evaluation and treatment facilities
- Enhanced service facilities
- Triage facilities
- Crisis stabilization facilities with 16 or fewer beds
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Local media contacts:
Jefferson County Public Hospital District No.2
Mike Glenn
360.385.2200 ext. 2001
Providence Mount Carmel Hospital
Ron Rehn
509.685.5480
Rainier Springs, LLC
Jill Force
502.400.8484
Spokane Springs, LLC
Jill Force
502.400.8484
US HealthVest – Snohomish Marysville
Martina Sze
212.243.5565
US HealthVest –
Martina Sze
212.243.5565
Walla Walla General Hospital
Monty Knittel
509.527.8201