The public is invited to comment on Pierce County’s draft Behavioral Health Improvement Plan (BHIP), which will help identify gaps and needs in the community in order to set funding priorities.
The plan reflects Pierce County’s vision of a community where those with behavioral health needs will have access to a full range of innovative, effective, and culturally competent services, including:
- Community education
- Prevention and early intervention
- Outpatient and community-based services
- Crisis and inpatient services
- Services for justice-involved populations
- Housing supports for those with behavioral health needs
- Rural behavioral health services
- Behavioral health services for underserved populations
- Programs addressing the behavioral health workforce shortage
The Pierce County Human Services Department will be considering public comments on the draft plan now through February 28, 2024. The department’s report will be forwarded to the County Council for consideration on or before March 19, 2024.
Background
In December 2020, the Pierce County Council passed Ordinance 2020-138s, creating an additional sales and use tax for behavioral health and therapeutic courts. Consistent with RCW 82.14.460, revenue for this tax may be used to fund mental health, substance use disorder, and therapeutic court treatment programs and services.
The ordinance requires the Human Services Department to develop a Behavioral Health Improvement Plan (BHIP) to guide funding priorities over the next six years. The BHIP is to be submitted to the Council and updated biennially. This document is intended to fulfill the BHIP requirements outlined in the ordinance.
To learn more about the behavioral health improvement plan visit www.PierceCountyWa.gov/BHIP.
There were plenty comments related to the failures of Pierce County and the recent closing of The Crisis Recovery Center (CRC), in Parkland/Spanaway. (After a mere 36 month in operation.) This was a project with significant financial backing from Pierce County.
https://thesubtimes.com/2024/02/18/pierce-county-a-true-mental-health-failure/
Any BHIP brought forth must not rely heavily on public/private partnership. These agreements allow for the private entities to bow out, leaving the taxpayers on the hook for the failure.
My recommendation is to focus on the success of the Evaluation and Treatment facilities, as well as develop a more robust therapeutic court system for Pierce County. Our jail is crammed full of people awaiting mental competency hearings and taking up space that could be held by actual criminals…not the mentally ill.