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Adults struggling with mental illness, addiction have a new place to stabilize in Whatcom

Bellingham Herald - 1/11/2021

Jan. 11—A new center for adults struggling with mental illness and addiction has opened in Bellingham.

The Crisis Stabilization Center, at 2026 Division St., began accepting clients this week, according to Anne Deacon, the human services manager for the Whatcom County Health Department.

The center, which has long been sought, replaces the smaller Whatcom County Crisis Triage Center on Division Street. The older center helped stabilize five people who were suffering a mental health crisis and eight people withdrawing from drugs and/or alcohol at a time. The center opened more than a decade ago and will close now.

The new center has 32 beds, split evenly between mental health and detox, Deacon said. The size of the new center is affected by Medicaid funding, which limits each side to a maximum of 16 beds, according to previous reporting in The Bellingham Herald.

The substance withdrawal management, or detox, side has been accepting patients since Monday, Jan. 4, Deacon said. The side for mental health stabilization will begin accepting new clients by the beginning of this week, she said.

Detox services are provided by Pioneer Human Services and mental health services are provided by Compass Health, Deacon said.

Deacon said sometimes there is a stigma placed on behavioral health disorders or addiction, but they're common issues in humans.

"We want to make sure people don't feel like there's anything wrong simply because they're experiencing a behavioral health crisis or even significant distress. It's not uncommon and everybody deserves an opportunity to receive support and care. It's not a character flaw," Deacon said.

Stability goal

The new center, which is more than 24,000 square feet, provides clients with their own individual rooms, which also allows for coronavirus safety precautions, Deacon said. It also has a full-capacity commercial kitchen and will have 24/7 nursing staff on site.

The center is open to anyone in the North Sound region, meaning people from Skagit, Island, San Juan and Snohomish counties can access the services. However, Whatcom County residents will be prioritized, Deacon said.

The average stay for a resident will be between three and five days, although some people may need to stay for longer or will be stabilized in less time, Deacon said. When a person first arrives, they will begin to work on their goals for their stay at the crisis center and what their next steps are, which helps determine the length of stay, as it's an individualized process, Deacon said.

The center will also help people connect to other services and every person will leave with a discharge plan that they help create, Deacon said.

The goal for the center is to provide an opportunity for people to get the support and stability that they're seeking when they're in distress, Deacon said. The center will allow people to come directly there rather than going to the hospital emergency room or, if the person has a law enforcement response related to their behavioral health crisis, they can be diverted from the criminal justice system and taken to the center rather than jail, she said.

Now that the center is open, law enforcement can begin diverting people to treatment instead of jail, she said.

Bellingham Interim Police Chief Flo Simon said they are looking forward to the center opening its doors.

"The extra beds available will be of tremendous assistance in getting more of our residents connected to these critical services," Simon said in a prepared statement.

The majority of people receiving treatment at the center will be doing so voluntarily, Deacon said. On the behavioral and mental health side, Compass Health is working on getting a state certification that allows for involuntary holds at the center for up to 12 hours, Deacon said. The hope is that people brought in on involuntary holds will switch to a voluntary stay at the center to continue receiving treatment, she said.

Deacon said it has been a collaborative process between law enforcement, the prosecutor's office and the county health department to determine when someone would be diverted from jail or arrest and taken to the center instead.

"We want to give everyone the best chance possible. If they truly come in for stabilization, we want to give them what they need ... and so they maintain hope for future recovery," Deacon said.

Filling a need

Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu said in a prepared statement that the crisis center fills a critical need in the Whatcom community.

"Too often individuals in crisis, whether a mental health crisis or chemical dependency, get sent to jail or the emergency room, which are not at all equipped to serve their needs. This new center is well-designed and staffed with professionals who can get the patients stabilized and ready to enter a longer-term and less intensive care environment," Sidhu said. "It's going to change the lives of our community members for the better."

Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood echoed Sidhu's comments.

"We have been pleased to collaborate with Whatcom County to support the creation and funding of this facility, which fills a vital need in our community. It serves as an important and timely addition to our local crisis response, rather than relying on law enforcement or the hospital emergency room. We also are very appreciative that the Legislature helped fund it," Fleetwood said in a prepared statement.

Deacon said she believed the center would reach capacity quickly, and said she hoped people would use the opportunity to access these services locally. She said in order to avoid turning people away, staff members will work to schedule admission dates to the extent it's appropriate. If not, they will work to find other solutions for someone who is in crisis if the center is full, she said.

People who are interested in accessing services for themselves or a friend or family member can call 360-676-2020, and choose either option to speak with someone. The front lobby is also open and people can go there themselves or bring a loved one. Deacon said they're encouraging people to call first to make sure there is space. She said everyone is welcome regardless of their ability to pay and what insurance they may or may not have.

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