King County has long recognized the need to further invest in our behavioral health system. The reality is, behavioral health is undervalued and stigmatized, but the pandemic has revealed how many people across the country are struggling with anxiety, depression, stress, and other severe mental health challenges. The Department of Community and Human Services (DHCS) is committed to working with community-based providers, peers or those with lived experience, and state and city governments to expand programs and services that help reduce stigma and connect individuals to treatment that is available where and when they need it.