How can the King County behavioral health system better serve your community? Come tell us! King County is hosting listening sessions, in person, at locations across all 9 King County council districts in September and October. Sign up now for a listening session to share your input.

King County, and counties across the country, are facing behavioral health challenges including growing need for mental health and substance use care, a workforce shortage, and an overdose crisis, impacting residents all across the county, especially children and youth. 

We need to hear from you! What you share at these listening sessions will help us to prioritize how we invest in a system for mental health and substance use care that serves you and your community.

Sign up for a listening session now to share your input.

Space is limited, so please sign up soon. Each event will be capped at 50 participants. Spanish and ASL interpretation will be available. Please sign up for any session that is convenient for you, not just the district where you live. Light snacks will be served and gift cards will be provided as compensation to those who attend.

September 23 (Monday), 2024, from 6:30 – 8:00PM 

  • Event location: Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village, 6505 176th Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052 
  • Serving King County Council District 6 (all King County residents welcome) 
  • Join King County Councilmember Balducci who will be attending. 
  • Sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1003116978887?aff=oddtdtcreator 

September 24 (Tuesday), 2024, from 6:30 – 8:00PM 

September 26 (Thursday), 2024, from 6:00 – 7:30PM 

  • Event location: Lake Wilderness Lodge (Maple Room): 22500 SE 248th Street, Maple Valley, WA 98038 
  • Serving King County Council District 9 (all King County residents welcome) 
  • Join staff from King County Councilmember Dunn’s office. 
  • Sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1003168623357?aff=oddtdtcreator 

September 30 (Monday), 2024, from 6:00 – 7:30PM 

October 1 (Tuesday), 2024, from 6:30 – 8:00PM 

October 3 (Thursday), 2024, from 6:00 – 7:30PM 

October 8 (Tuesday), 2024, from 6:30 – 8:00PM 

  • Event location: Puget Sound ESD Conference Center, 800 Oakesdale Ave SW, Renton, WA 98057 
  • Serving King County Council District 5 (all King County residents welcome) 
  • Join staff from King County Councilmember Upthegrove’s office. 
  • Sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1003228753207?aff=oddtdtcreator 

October 9 (Wednesday), 2024, from 6:30 – 8:00PM 

October 10 (Thursday), 2024, from 6:30 – 8:00PM 

  • Event location: Spartan Recreation Center, 202 NE 185th Street, Shoreline, WA 98155 
  • Serving King County Council District 1 (all King County residents welcome) 
  • Join King County Councilmember Dembowski who will be attending. 
  • Sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1003231782267?aff=oddtdtcreator 

Download the flier here:

Phase One- Virtual Community Listening Sessions FlyerDownload

Can’t Make It? Take the Online Survey 

The King County behavioral health online survey, which includes questions about both mental health and substance use care, is live now. Like the listening sessions, survey responses will help King County plan for behavioral health system improvements. We hope to hear from a wide range of community voices and bring their experiences, concerns and desires into our visioning and planning process.  

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and is available in 21 languages. Take the survey here.  

Why Now? An Opportune Time to Make an Impact 

The MIDD behavioral health sales tax is a 0.1% sales tax that generates approximately $80 million each year. The King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD) has administered the fund since 2008 to benefit people in King County living with or at risk of behavioral health conditions.  

The MIDD makes up about 20% of the Behavioral Health and Recovery Division’s budget. Along with the new Crisis Care Centers Initiative, the MIDD is a key resource in supporting the broader behavioral health system to build toward behavioral health system of the future.    

The MIDD was first enacted in 2007 and was renewed for a second 9-year cycle by the King County Council in 2016. In the decade since, the behavioral health landscape has changed significantly. As the Council considers renewal of the MIDD for the third time in 2025, a unique opportunity exists to harness these significant local funds and re-envision what we are investing in to evolve a system that is better than what exists today.    

To responsibly steward this uncommon local resource, DCHS is committed to a robust renewal process to focus MIDD’s next iteration on today’s highest priorities and maximize MIDD’s impact in building a behavioral health system that meets King County residents’ greatest needs.   

DCHS is seeking community input early in the renewal process from community members for their insights. We are actively seeking input from behavioral health providers, people with lived experiences, and other members of the widespread public.   

Community Engagement is Underway Now  

The earliest phase of the MIDD renewal process is underway now, starting by listening and learning from community voices. Community engagement began in July with virtual listening sessions to inform a vision for a modernized behavioral health system that meets the needs of everyone in our community.  Now King County is hosting listening sessions, in person, across all 9 council districts. 

Over the coming months, beginning now by gathering public feedback, the MIDD renewal team will explore ways to invest for greatest impact that prioritize care that works for people—what, where and how they need it.  

If you have any questions, please reach out to Natalia Chacon, MIDD Renewal Community Engagement Liaison, at nchacon@kingcounty.gov.