King County is expanding access to behavioral health care to support more people the moment they’re ready for mental health or substance use treatment. A new $20 million investment through the Crisis Care Centers initiative will go toward two community behavioral health providers—Aristo Healthcare Services in Renton and Seattle Indian Health Board on Vashon Island—to create 31 new residential treatment beds across both sites that provide equitable access to culturally-responsive treatment.
The Crisis Care Centers Levy aims to build out crisis services, including building back lost residential treat beds and ensure dedicated teams are in place, expanding capacity to support people when they’re ready for recovery and need longer-term care.
Residential treatment facilities provide 24/7 treatment in a safe, supportive environment where people can receive intensive services to stabilize and recover from behavioral health conditions, such as:
- Around-the-clock clinical support and supervision.
- Therapeutic interventions tailored to the individual’s needs.
- Stabilization for those who are not in need of inpatient hospital treatment but are not yet ready to live independently.
Both Aristo Healthcare Services and Seattle Indian Health Board have deep roots in King County, and a proven track record of delivering compassionate, high-quality behavioral health care.
- Aristo Healthcare Services (Renton): Aristo Healthcare Services is a dedicated provider of specialized behavioral health care. This funding will allow them to bolster their capacity and add 16 mental health beds to their Renton facility, ensuring more residents have access to long-term recovery support in South King County.
- Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB) – Thunderbird Facility (Vashon Island): SIHB is a leader in providing culturally responsive care. This year, the new Thunderbird Treatment Center will reopen on Vashon Island with 92 beds for substance use treatment. The facility will integrate traditional Indigenous healing practices with modern clinical excellence, providing the services and treatment that people struggling with substance use disorder need today. Funding will support capitol development costs, including an in-facility clinic and the development of their 15-bed pregnant and parenting people wing.
See more photos of the facility here.
The Urgent Need for More Beds
Today, there are 240 beds for mental health and 184 beds for substance use residential treatment in King County’s Integrated Care Network.
One of the goals of the Crisis Care Centers initiative is to expand equitable access to residential treatment in King County and to add 115 new mental health residential treatment beds that were lost in recent years.
For a long time, King County—and Washington State as a whole—has faced a shortage of residential treatment options with many facilities forced to close.
The new Thunderbird facility replaces beds for substance use treatment that were lost when the original facility closed in 2019.
King County also lost 118 beds for mental health treatment between 2019-2032 due to rising operating and maintenance costs, aging infrastructure, and insufficient resources to repair facilities. With this investment, Aristo’s facility will add 16 new mental health beds toward the county’s 115-bed goal.
Making Progress, Breaking the Cycle
Over the last 18 months, DCHS has opened more doors, invested in more services, and begun to expand treatment. Here’s a snapshot:
- The first Crisis Care Center opened in Kirkland.
- More crisis teams are in the field helping more people who call 988.
- Five free vending machines stocked with overdose prevention supplies helped reverse 800 overdoses to date.
- $15 million for renovations and repairs preserved beds in six local residential treatment facilities.
- The new ORCA Center opened in downtown Seattle providing post-overdose care and recovery support.
- A Residential Treatment facility in Skyway has beds available today for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder.
To learn more about the original funding opportunity and the technical requirements for these awards, read our previous post here.