Tag Archives: Mental Health

Mental health treatment capacity would expand dramatically with behavioral health bonds

Legislation sponsored by Sen. John Braun  and Sen. David Frockt asks voters to approve $500 million in state bonds to greatly expand community mental health treatment facilities statewide. This comes as reports and analysis show Washington’s inadequate options for people facing a variety of mental health crises.

“Treating people with mental illness in their community keeps them closer to their family and improves long-term outcomes,” said Braun, R-Centralia, who serves as ranking minority member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. “It’s critical that we provide the facilities to deliver a variety of evidence-based services throughout our state. Combining one of the lowest national rates of available treatment facilities with some of the highest need is a recipe for the crisis we see today.”

Washington has taken steps to invest in community treatment facilities over the last four years to the tune of an additional $50 million in the previous two capital budgets.

“We have a crisis in mental health in this state. We are under court order to improve the system in a variety of ways, and this includes expanding the entire range of facilities,” said Frockt, D-Seattle. “This bill would create a transformational funding plan over many years to address these dire needs. This measure ensures that people suffering from mental illness can be treated close to home, keeping them connected to the support systems that they’ll rely on as they recover.”

A 2015 report by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy showed that Washington ranked 49th of 50 states for the availability of psychiatric beds. The same report also highlighted that the state ranks in the top three nationally in adult prevalence of mental illness and serious mental illness.

“While we’ve made progress in recent years, it’s clear that the scale of problems demands a more widespread and flexible approach,” said Braun, who sponsored the 2017 state operating budget, which also made significant investments in mental health treatment and care.

The proposed legislation authorizes up to $500 million in general obligation state bonds to pay for capital improvements that increase behavioral health services in community settings. Funds could be used for a variety of treatment options including evaluation and treatment centers, crisis and stabilization centers, detoxification centers, transitional housing or other appropriate options.

With the bonds, the Legislature would be able to appropriate the money raised from the “Community Behavioral Health Bond Account,” a dedicated fund created in the bill. The specific capacity that could be expanded would depend on what types of facilities future Legislatures choose to invest in as well as the amount of matching or grant funds available for individual projects.

“I am looking forward to working with Sen. Braun and the bipartisan group that is sponsoring this measure,” Frockt said. “As the new Democratic chair of the capital budget, I plan to schedule hearings for this bill once we have passed a capital budget. Addressing this crisis is one of my top priorities. Good ideas know no party, and it’s time for both parties to come together to address these long neglected needs.”

The measure would be subject to a vote in the state’s 2018 general election.

Bipartisan agreement reached on 2016 supplemental budget

Budget leaders from the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives today announced they have reached agreement on an update of the state’s current two-year operating budget. Work on a supplement to the 2015-17 budget has been under way since the 2016 regular legislative session gave way to a special session March 10. The updated spending plan includes adjustments that will pay for the costs of fighting the 2015 wildfires and increased funding for mental health care, while complying with the state’s four-year balanced-budget requirement.

“Last year we found broad bipartisan agreement on a sustainable two-year budget that made historic investments in K-12 education and reduced college tuition, while living within the means provided by taxpayers,” said Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, who serves as vice chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and is a lead budget negotiator. “This year’s budget update builds upon those investments and addresses the needs of Washington residents, including significant improvements in mental health treatment and care for some of our most vulnerable citizens.”

Lawmakers are expected to vote on the bipartisan agreement Tuesday.

“Every legislative session is an opportunity to do something to improve the lives of Washington’s seven million residents,” said Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, chair of the House Appropriations Committee. “It took a little longer than I had hoped, but this budget was worth the wait. The Legislature will make key investments that address the teacher shortage crisis, improve mental health services, reduce homelessness, and improve the lives of foster kids. It’s not everything we wanted, of course, but that’s the reality of a divided government. The only path forward is through compromise and that’s what we’ve done with this budget agreement.”

Final budget details will be available online at leap.leg.wa.gov by Tuesday morning.

Braun bill to boost state’s mental-health system approved

Today the state Senate approved legislation introduced by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia to expand the pool of medical professionals capable of addressing mental-health needs of Washingtonians. Senate Bill 6445, which cleared the Senate unanimously, would clarify state law to include physician assistants in the delivery of mental-health services.

“Our state needs more mental-health professionals to meet the significant demand for treatment,” said Braun. “Our state has invested significant financial resources into our mental-health system in the past three years. This legislation clarifies that physician assistants with the appropriate education, training and experience can deliver these critical services.”

Physician assistants are not listed in the state Department of Social and Human Services rules regarding the delivery of mental-health services. Braun’s bill would allow these medical professionals to be classified in the mental-health code along with psychiatrists, physicians, and psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioners, while maintaining high standards of practice already in place.

“These medical professionals are licensed to provide many vital health services under supervision of a physician,” Braun said. “And it only makes sense that if they have the training and education they should be part of our state’s mental-health care system.”