Gov. Jay Inslee, state elected officials, UW President Ana Mari Cauce, UW Medicine CEO Tim Dellit, and community leaders gathered yesterday, May 15 for the ribbon cutting of the Center for Behavioral Health and Learning.
The six-story facility on the UW Medical Center-Northwest campus houses 150 behavioral health care beds serving long-term civil commitment patients, geropsychiatry patients, and acute-care medical and surgical patients who also have mental health challenges. The facility supports a full continuum of behavioral health services, including a crisis stabilization unit, modern neuromodulation treatments, transition support to community-based living, and 24/7 telepsychiatry consultation that allows UW experts to consult with primary care, community hospital, and emergency room providers across the state.
The center also integrates an interdisciplinary training and workforce development program focused on preparing and supporting the next generation of behavioral health providers for the state.
The state funded the construction of this one-of-a-kind facility starting in the 2021 legislative session to expand needed behavioral health services and address the urgent behavioral health workforce shortage in Washington. The center was brought to fruition with strong bipartisan support.
Instrumental in securing support for the building, Gov. Jay Inslee, Rep. Frank Chopp, and Sens. Manka Dhingra and John Braun spoke at the gathering. They thanked everyone involved in the planning, funding, and construction of the facility and emphasized how the behavioral health care and workforce development that will occur at the center will benefit individuals and families across Washington State.
Also in attendance were Sens. Annette Cleveland, Jamie Pedersen, June Robinson, and Javier Valdez; Reps. Steve Bergquist, Lisa Callan, Darya Farivar, Nicole Macri, Cindy Ryu, Vandana Slatter, My-Linh Thai, Steve Tharinger, and Keith Wagoner; former Sen. David Frockt and Rep. Eileen Cody.
Thank you to the elected officials, gubernatorial and legislative staff, and UW community leaders whose advocacy and support made the Center for Behavioral Health and Learning a reality.
See UW Medicine’s news release here.
