In April, more than 56 percent of King County voters approved the Crisis Care Centers levy! This is a generational opportunity to improve our behavioral health system and deliver care to King County residents! The core components of this initative include crisis care, walk-in services, and residential treatment, in addition to strengthening this critical workforce. The power behind this proposal came from the provider, peer, and community coalition that helped inform and inspire the components to create a connected system that ensures no wrong door.
By formalizing and integrating the crisis care center, King County can deliver care in a similar way as physical health care. Linking 988, mobile crisis units, law enforcement and a place for people to go will create greater continuity of care and a path to recovery.
This Crisis Care Centers planning process is now underway in the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS). As part of that, the department is convening various planning meetings to inform the three pillars of the initiative: crisis care centers, residential treatment, and workforce.
King County has brought on three new members to the department to help lead the implementation process and serve as planning team leads in the next phase of this work. Get to know them here!
Kate Baber (she/her), Crisis Care Centers Planning Director
Kate brings 15 years of experience working in the health and human service public policy, affordable housing, and healthcare administration sectors. Most recently, Kate worked as the Senior Manager of Healthcare Integration at DESC, a community behavioral health agency and supportive housing provider serving people living with complex behavioral health conditions and experiences of chronic homelessness in King County. Prior to joining DESC, Kate worked on state-level health and human service public policy issues at the Washington State Health Care Authority and statewide public-interest policy organizations.
Jennifer Winslow (she/her), Crisis Care Centers Deputy Planning Director
Jennifer is a licensed mental health clinician and currently serves in the Behavioral Health and Recovery Division at DCHS. During her time at King County, Jennifer served as part of the Covid Emergency Service Group (CESG) where she led as Site Director for King County’s Isolation and Quarantine facilities. Prior to working at King County, Jennifer was the Senior Clinical Manager of Crisis and Training at Crisis Connections, a 24-hour crisis line that provides help for people, families, and friends who are in crisis.
Dr. Matt Goldman (he/him), MD, MS, Crisis Care Centers Medical Director
Matt comes to King County from the San Francisco Department of Public Health where he served as the Medical Director for Comprehensive Crisis Services. In this role, he had direct clinical and administrative oversight of a crisis call center and adult and child mobile crisis teams, led planning for San Francisco’s 988 implementation and advised on the development of a new crisis stabilization unit, while also working clinically as a psychiatrist and leading multiple mental health services research grants. Matt serves as a board member of the American Association of Community Psychiatry, is a part of the Expanding First Response Commission for the Council of State Governments Justice Center, and co-chairs a committee on crisis services for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing with the Medical Director Institute.
What Happens Next
The team is now working to develop the Crisis Care Centers Implementation Plan. Executive Constantine will submit the plan to the King County Council for their review by December 31, 2023. The Implementation Plan will set the nine-year strategy, including requirements, siting process and centers, cost structures, measurement and evaluation, and operations in order to achieve the initiative goals. If you are interested in meeting with the planning team or joining a feedback session, please email us at dchs@kingcounty.gov.
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