Plans in works for Island County mental health center
South Whidbey RecordDec 03, 2017
The board of commissioners voted unanimously to purchase the seven-acre parcel located on
The
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If the funding is secured, the
"It's for people who are feeling they are in some sort of crisis…they feel they need to go somewhere where they're safe for a couple of days," said
The remaining six acres would be used for supportive housing for income-eligible individuals. The property is close to existing services such as Sea Mar, which provides chemical dependency services, and
"It's just the perfect spot,"said Johnson.
The sale of the property won't be complete until the feasibility studies are finished in January. Starting at the beginning of next year, the county will begin public outreach regarding the project.
"Just so nobody feels surprised and to address concerns, if there are any," said Johnson.
She said no one should be concerned about the safety of living nearby the facility because the individuals who would be served are already in the community but without access to the treatment and services they need. With this center, they will receive care instead of ending up on the street or in jail.
"I don't live here, but I would live here," she said.
She said the county will continue outreach as the project expands, and public input will factor into the decision about which type of supportive housing would best meet community needs. Johnson named veterans assistance and supportive recovery for mental health or chemical dependency as potential options.
"It's not that you just construct it and walk away, all these types of housing come with treatment," said Johnson.
All of the services provided would be steps in the recovery process, but none of them would be intended to be permanent, she said. The goal would be to help people become as independent as possible.
The county will own the property and building, but will hire an outside behavioral health organization to operate the facilities. However, there are still a significant number of hurdles to overcome before groundbreaking can occur. Johnson said that, while she's excited about the project, she's still hesitant to get her hopes up too much.
Talks for a center like this began with
Johnson credits
"I don't know if it will get any better than this if we pull this off," she said.