BURIEN, Wash. — Gov. Jay Inslee's plan is to create more community mental health facilities like the Navos Center in Burien, so that’s where he presented his mental health budget.
Because of her experience with her young adult son, Jerri Clark welcomes the change.
“Imagine being told that your son won't get significant help for this terrible illness unless he tries to die by suicide, hurt someone or goes to jail,” Clark said while the governor watched.
The governor's budget has $18.6 million to expand the number of Assertive Community Treatment Teams that can develop relationships with patients and guide them through comprehensive care.
“We don't want to wait until people are in crisis, we want to help them have prevention before they are in the depths of some of these problems,” said Inslee.
Twenty-two million dollars is designated to deal with security problems at Western State Hospital. The governor's plan calls for phasing patients who haven't been committed because of a crime into new community facilities spread round the state.
Jerri Clark did find help for her son, who's now working with an Assertive Community Treatment Team.
Asked if the governor’s plan will work, she responded “What will work is a program that allows for the development of relationships.”
“Facilities and programs do not help people recover, people help people recover. And we do need locations, we do need infrastructure, but that infrastructure has to include a really trained compassionate workforce that can have the time they need to develop relationships with the individuals in their care," Clark said.
The governor's plan has a big price tag - $671 million. On Thursday, he’ll announce his plan to pay for it.
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