King County in Washington is proposing a $1.25 billion mental health plan that would build five new walk-in centers over the next decade, Real Change reported Dec. 28.
The funding would come from a nine-year property tax levy that would raise about $121 a year from a median property valued at $694,000. Citizens of the county, which includes Seattle, will vote on the new plan and the property tax levy in April of next year.
One of the new walk-in centers would be specific to youth behavioral health patients. Each center would have a 24-hour emergency center, access to the national suicide and mental health crisis line, a 23-hour living room staffed with mental health professionals and a 16-bed voluntary crisis stabilization unit. The facilities will treat individuals regardless of insurance status.
The plan also includes a countywide crisis responder assessment office to connect individuals with long-term care like supportive housing or inpatient hospital treatment.
The county's plan comes in response to the area and state's growing mental health and substance abuse crisis.