LAKEWOOD, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) has proposed an amendment to the Master Facilities Plan for the Western State Hospital campus to include the construction of a proposed 350-bed forensic hospital, among other updates. The public comment period began in early June and is approaching its conclusion; comments will be accepted through July 7 at 5:00 p.m.
The updated plan reflects changes at the hospital directed by the Governor and Legislature, and other development plans that would update buildings, parking and open space at the WSH campus.
DSHS’ amended Master Facilities Plan describes expected changes to the state’s behavioral health model and to the campus of Western State Hospital.
DSHS’ Appendices document further describes the state’s model for behavioral health, and addresses the community impact of the amended master plan regarding economic, traffic, and environmental effects.
Public comments already submitted by the community are open for review. Community members that wish to comment may comment online.
Residents upset with the development (which is happening with or without this comment period) can further voice their displeasure toward senator T’wina Nobles. Mrs. Nobles Senate Bill 5293 will force a whole lot more criminals (they only prosecute violent crime in this state these days) into the new digs at Western State. Until then, they’ll cram them in the hallways. Overcrowding will lead to quicker release time. Release will be directly to the bus stops on Steilacoom Blvd. Some will take the bus. Some will hang around. You get what you vote for Oakbrook/Lakewood.
Wow! One person made this happen? Lakewood has had to contend with Western State for well over 80 years. We have never had any say, including housing sex offenders in Oakbrook. Why must one community be the sole repository for all these people? Yes, we need to help everyone who is mentally fragile, but let’s spread it out. Is refurbishing McNeil an option? I
Here is the text of our public comment submitted in this regard:
It is patently obvious that this action will be taken by the state no matter what we say. But being good citizens it is our responsibility to put in our thoughts anyway.
DSHS has mismanaged that facility and its patients for far-too-many years….recently so poorly that they lost Federal Funding. And, we expect them to do “better” when all of their future patients will be housed in a “forensic hospital”?
What is a forensic hospital? According to the International Journal of Mental Health Systems, it is “a healthcare institution into which patients have been diverted from either correctional services, typically due to criminal irresponsibility issues or enduring post-sentencing mental illness, or general psychiatric services, typically due to serious risk of inter- or intra-personal violence.”
Well why not have such an institution:
• next to Steilacoom high school,
• across the street from the largest, most highly used park in Lakewood,
• within 2,269.08 feet from a college that is one of the Top-5 in the US,
• within 1.01 miles from a Lakewood high school
• within walking distance of two elementary and middle schools (including the Lutheran School on 112th St); of hundreds of businesses and homes in both Lakewood and Steilacoom?
Of course the state will likely point out they are spending millions of dollars to “upgrade” the facility so that it is “more secure”.
Okay, but are you going to also replace the management and staff that lost millions of dollars in Federal Funding and also allowed dangerous patients to escape many, many times in recent history:
In a May 3, 2016 article in the Seattle Times, “…a review of police reports and interviews by The Associated Press reveal 185 instances in which Western State Hospital patients escaped or walked away over the past 3 ½ years or so.”
And, finally, when it comes time for a patient to be released, where, in God’s name, will they be released? Like WSH patients are currently released? Oh yeah, Lakewood. Thank you very much DSHS.
One final, very-important consideration….DSHS as a state “agency”, has also cost the people of Washington 100’s-of-millions of dollars due to suits brought against it by the people they have been charged with protecting! Obviously, they failed in that as well, didn’t they?
DSHS is a walking nightmare and we absolutely don’t trust them to do anything right for anyone.
To the governing bodies of Lakewood and Pierce County….step up and do your job to put a stop to this idiotic and dangerous action.
The decision to build a forensic hospital facility at Western State was known in 2018. Those of us who pay close attention learned about it by the middle of that year. Senator Twina Nobles was not in the Legislature then. She was elected in 2020.
I never said that Mrs Nobles was involved with the expansion. I just encouraged readers to understand that she made the situation worse by redirecting more convicted felons to Western and Eastern State Hospital vs the jail cells that they typically occupy.
When the quote reads “can further voice their displeasure toward senator T’wina Nobles.. “, that means she is not completely to blame for the situation, but she made things worse.
Bottom line, Western State isn’t moving, regardless of the NIMBYS.
Time to vote out all those that have supported this plan (read Democrats)! Remember what they are doing to this area when it comes to voting time in the next election! Bring back Steve Oban. At least he was fighting against making this a dumping ground for Tacoma and Seattle problems, and fighting against Sound Transits “taxation without representation” schemes!