The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) released today a new report sharing feedback from community engagement on the topic of the behavioral health system, which provides supports and treatment for mental health and substance use, including prevention, promotion, treatment, crisis intervention, community building, recovery supports, and more. The Phase One Community Engagement Report, an overview of community engagement in preparation for the renewal of the MIDD behavioral health sales tax, is available now. Read it in full here.
Between July and November of 2024, King County conducted a robust community engagement campaign to inform the renewal of the MIDD behavioral health sales tax. Topics for feedback ranged from behavioral health needs, service gaps, and opportunities for growth and improvement in the behavioral health system.
Major themes
County staff spoke to diverse populations throughout King County, including people with lived experience navigating the behavioral health system, BIPOC communities, youth advocates, services providers, and past and current recipients of MIDD behavioral health sales tax funds.
The report analyzed the diverse community engagement methods to identify common themes and subthemes. Major thematic areas included:
- Access & Barriers
- Culturally Relevant & Responsive Care
- System Fragmentation & Service Coordination
- Services for Children, Youth, and Young Adults
- Behavioral Health Workforce
- Strengthening Wraparound Services
- Priority Populations
The report includes detailed feedback about what is working and what needs improvement for each of these thematic areas. Read the full report here.
The MIDD Renewal Phase One Community Engagement Report also integrates themes from a related, but separate, community engagement effort: the Be Heard: Community Voices about Mental Health and Wellness Project. This collaboration between King County and community-based organizations reached an additional 543 unique participants through culturally focused listening sessions.
About the MIDD
MIDD is a countywide 0.1% sales tax that generates about $180 million per biennium (every two years). MIDD currently serves tens of thousands of people each year through its funding of programs and services for people living with or at risk of developing behavioral health conditions. King County’s MIDD is managed and operated by the King County Department of Community and Human Services’ (DCHS) Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD).
Since 2008, MIDD has funded high-quality programs and services that, collectively, work to reduce reliance on jails, emergency rooms, and hospitals, and create connections to community for King County residents most in need. King County established the current MIDD in 2016 in for 2017-2025. Now the MIDD Renewal Team is working to imagine and realize the next iteration of MIDD. The Renewal Team is working closely with leadership from DCHS and the Executive’s Office to submit a plan to the King County Council to continue and improve the sales tax.
About the community engagement participants
In this first phase of community engagement, 929 unique individuals were reached through four different engagement methods conducted by the MIDD Renewal team. An additional 543 participated in the Be Heard project. You can dive deep into the demographics and backgrounds of participants in the full report.
Next steps for MIDD Renewal
The themes that emerged from Phase One of community engagement will help ensure that policies, programs and services in the next iteration of MIDD respond to the needs and challenges faced by different populations in King County.
In Phase Two, underway currently until April 2025, the renewal team will use the themes gathered from Phase One to inform questions and approach for continued engagement, particularly in seeking feedback from populations who were underrepresented in Phase One.
To stay informed about MIDD Renewal, visit the website here for updates and to sign up for email news.
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