[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6272645,"mediaKeyId","3027349-9098ba8d5167496c5722b07124a6b5d4","parentId",3027349,"title","Whatcom subcommittee reviews reentry, Division Street campus and mobile clinic updates","audioSeconds",880,"startMs",2564000,"endMs",3444000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3027349-9098ba8d5167496c5722b07124a6b5d4&start=2564&end=3444","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3027349-9098ba8d5167496c5722b07124a6b5d4/thumbnail_2564000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6272645/Whatcom-County/Washington/Whatcom-subcommittee-reviews-reentry-Division-Street-campus-and-mobile-clinic-updates","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272645-73f2bf135638b3d0712946b5aa2c3174/orig.mp4?Expires=1771029993&Signature=Lsh8mDSxmUTqMpD21HOwi1CjDgV3xfnSsGEu1x38KLDfN~tbCGE71-BlkCHAeM6PpUR6SKbWFW~tAbviKcs0n5JWazigOozA1G5OPZqYQqbXK5T182uGWq9cb7U6VCCUCx37rTkQIpLBKvLrFFSbuRE-bwQKSehQAfq1exhB2W~QB7qClCfpvbpJhYjx7Fs2aZ6d59D~QwBL5NUaC~YfQGbUx-nN1mSkBA6GOgC0ee8MtPHK76xL5bjbPafkK3~Z6e84CI~Ct-VoklGIA05cXSqjj5j-5rrIMuoMC~iS8rJilFd~8yzBtRswHJn76o1z0YefU2Cjz2P6L1PVY4IvgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Whatcom County, WA","date","2025-04-15T18:32:35Z","article","Subcommittee members provided brief updates on three related operational efforts: a reentry and diversion workgroup, planning for a behavioral‑health campus at 2030 Division Street, and outreach for a mobile medical unit.

Brian Estes said the reentry and diversion workgroup will meet next Monday and plans to review diversion programs and reentry supports; he also said Deborah Ollie is stepping down from the workgroup and members discussed recruiting people with lived experience to preserve that perspective.

Nut graf: The subcommittee is serving primarily as a recommending body to identify needs and principles for local programs. Members emphasized the importance of lived‑experience representation for reentry work and discussed employer partnerships and vocational pathways for people leaving custody.

Dan Hamill and other members described 2030 Division Street as an emerging behavioral‑health campus housing the alternate response team, mobile medical units and the Anne Deacon Center; the county will relocate the current work center when the new jail opens and the group will develop recommendations for future use of the facility. Hamill said the county is monitoring funding for a planned 23‑hour behavioral care center located on that site.

Dan also asked the committee to help publicize outreach for a mobile medical unit. He said outreach coordinator Leon John and executive director Bev Keys are working to increase patient referrals for medication‑assisted treatment (buprenorphine/Suboxone) and other services; committee members offered to share materials and suggested using practicum students to assist distribution.

Ending: The workgroups will continue meetings in coming weeks and report recommendations to the subcommittee. No formal actions or funding commitments were made at the April 15 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","IPRTF - Behavioral Health Committee - April 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Members received status updates on reentry/diversion workgroup planning, a Division Street behavioral‑health campus concept for 2030 Division Street, and outreach needs for a local mobile medical unit serving medication and minor medical needs.","taxTitle","Whatcom County, Washington","taxId",2976,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6272650,"Whatcom Community College expands SUDP training as local behavioral‑health workforce remains stretched",322,2734000,3056000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3027349-9098ba8d5167496c5722b07124a6b5d4&start=2734&end=3056","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3027349-9098ba8d5167496c5722b07124a6b5d4/thumbnail_2734000.jpg","/articles/6272650/Whatcom-County/Washington/Whatcom-Community-College-expands-SUDP-training-as-local-behavioralhealth-workforce-remains-stretched","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272650-90c18a1d934d1ab00ab6b00a7a87cf66/orig.mp4?Expires=1771029993&Signature=JfcutRG5TLSUtyK31KMh91vCTHyfUpaE5VbB04sWlBDuajf~yqsKA9ZYkKTxMoqJ7z3E6U3a3ZuiKw2ZX2BJPkFBYHcwGtdx1RMjTT33Xi2C1sf-3Qgd6srTCRPxhgRixC43fiwkA0hyEo9g73dNP-vEI9vmhm~YnINcPvxiE5-CLppx0hy3wgAuUBf3yxVN9OH73RJ7Bbe1F7cl9E2ZGVCQlV13606vvyCW4jbryGpkHR2ooo4V1sDbhhAmMFl6zmnf~Ax4bH97cPFctR5Ah925LNRZzVkEptEFPReRx9Mwz0MJBgqaKuYTV3C4r7D~LMTnzFG~HlhWm86Kgu~tdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tori Sandoz, program coordinator and faculty for the Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP) program at Whatcom Community College, briefed the subcommittee on April 15 about program capacity and recent supports.

Whatcom Community College offers three educational pathways to meet Washington’s SUDP requirements: an online alternative training for licensed behavioral‑health professionals (15 credits over three quarters), an associate degree pathway (90 credits over seven quarters, including a practicum), and a certificate pathway (65 credits over five quarters, including a practicum), Sandoz said.

Nut graf: The college’s programs feed the local workforce, but practicums and supervision are critical to transitioning trainees into paid roles. This spring the college is piloting paid practicum placements supported by a Cambria Health Foundation grant to offset students’ costs while they complete the 132‑hour practicum requirement.

Sandoz said the college is paying practicum students at minimum wage from a Cambria Health Foundation grant. She said practicums are 132 hours and that many students are hired directly from placement sites. The state has relaxed certain trainee competency requirements, she added, and the college has seen increased enrollments: double sections have been required this year to meet demand.

Committee members asked whether training could support more formal screening or diagnostic work. Sandoz said trainees can perform screenings such as SBIRT under proper supervision and become a resource for outreach teams, mobile clinics and MAT programs as trainee licensing and supervision rules allow.

Ending: Sandoz said the college will monitor practicum outcomes this spring, and committee members encouraged better mentorship and pathways into supervisory and management roles for graduates.","Whatcom Community College reported higher enrollments and a newly funded paid practicum pilot for Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP) students; college leaders said practicums and supervision are essential to place more professionals into local treatment settings.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":78,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6272655,"VillageReach metrics raise definitional questions on 'serious mental illness' and recidivism",948000,1270000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3027349-9098ba8d5167496c5722b07124a6b5d4&start=948&end=1270","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3027349-9098ba8d5167496c5722b07124a6b5d4/thumbnail_948000.jpg","/articles/6272655/Whatcom-County/Washington/VillageReach-metrics-raise-definitional-questions-on-serious-mental-illness-and-recidivism","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272655-cbd44bfec002ede18876433b3d662c77/orig.mp4?Expires=1771029993&Signature=ax9-Zo65S~z7N-ig3wSZFros7BWdRBryxiytkaKzMZA7l6KOCtE8C2P6rHDM9bWEkLpvpHjHKfD1T05j~B3iOTncHg25kZw3aCSdeCI2J~~EYyUWVrsfOR7pAU53yOzTP~kfxBk0IW4ygw6olBJgecNXhmkQ18sCCnSTk1xlBz3692HkQTDKCOdyn1M3SCz98~UlXexYaOo2DGLJ6U1JrFLcMT6tOiYQCD~6HpcwNFSCnMsHrwUCg9ywlYATcPLo6BYiGh9BkYTIFaVI36bvMfJBtpKFLj7u28QfuJN8IsCYErAAex8Fb8oT5~bFxGLgDzKdqCiaoZk-5YScmqTXNA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dean White, a part‑time project manager with Whatcom County Health and Community Services, and Bertie Safford, chair of the index committee, summarized VillageReach’s work and flagged three measurement questions for the behavioral‑health subcommittee on April 15.

VillageReach, the county’s contractor on the justice evaluation and performance‑measurement plan, consolidated 15 potential measures into four outcome areas: jail bookings, average length of jail stay, post‑release connections to care, and recidivism, White said. The consultant will disaggregate measures by behavioral‑health involvement and race and ethnicity.

Nut graf: Committee members spent the bulk of discussion on how to define the subsets for that disaggregation—particularly how to identify people with “serious mental illness” and how to measure recidivism in a way that is both meaningful and measurable.

Bertie Safford said VillageReach head researcher Julia Gurett (presented to the index committee) consolidated the measures and asked the community to weigh in on definitions. Safford summarized the four outcomes and listed three community questions: how to measure “connections to care” at release; how to define “serious mental illness” for the purpose of the implementation plan; and how to operationalize recidivism.

Participants noted tradeoffs between an ideal measure and available data. Lieutenant Kyle Nelson and Jake Wiebusch said many people interact repeatedly with law enforcement without being booked into jail, which affects how recidivism is counted. Tori Sandoz and others suggested separating substance use and mental‑health involvement and considering screening‑based indicators (for example, SBIRT) if formal diagnoses are not consistently available.

White and Bertie said VillageReach is first identifying ideal measures and then mapping gaps to current data sources; final measurement recommendations will likely move through the full IPRTF. Bertie emphasized community input and flagged that the consultant “is giving this as a question” on who will decide operational definitions.

Ending: Committee members asked for continued discussion and suggested that VillageReach and county staff engage clinicians, lived‑experience representatives and data managers to refine definitions before the June deadline for JAG fund expenditure.","The subcommittee reviewed VillageReach's draft measures for the justice‑system behavioral health implementation plan and debated how to define and measure 'serious mental illness' and recidivism for disaggregated outcome reporting.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6272660,"Whatcom presenters warn House budget Medicaid cuts could strain local behavioral health services",345,342000,687000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3027349-9098ba8d5167496c5722b07124a6b5d4&start=342&end=687","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3027349-9098ba8d5167496c5722b07124a6b5d4/thumbnail_342000.jpg","/articles/6272660/Whatcom-County/Washington/Whatcom-presenters-warn-House-budget-Medicaid-cuts-could-strain-local-behavioral-health-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272660-39ef913510cbf95d2c32173fadbede2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771029993&Signature=Iyi8rVj-V~IQolPAqpRQ20ejZYD9z6IAuBo2Ol6pSsAu~brwJ3PQIevHK0jv3ZauE5FlkTEVpsutOJm4VttWMG62GT6uZZzr7F7hwo41AMmNxV4LkwQuaexRRNJX47Ae4G4bxM~Nzavhy-rRRBDI~e6LGZIYw4-6RLysOHmVn1KLB0KlrE-d8o8lzzYhh8oVNcKqPVU6pvUEB5WNQ8aCzvvt3oVUlbo0gW3qrZrL2NwrzPbmQ6MiDlxmhEY-H8HIzeH5g6YEyNiiXdnZ6LqIuDBUa45jH50bYkTARwFueues7ckzl5tfPzQqrCzkfKRYMAmh0W9L7YJDLvpzjKJdZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Brian Estes, a member of NAMI Whatcom and the group’s public policy committee, told the Behavioral Health Subcommittee on April 15 that proposed changes in the U.S. House budget could sharply reduce federal Medicaid funding and put local services at risk.

“If the House plan is enacted, Washington may lose $7 billion to $9 billion over a 10‑year period,” Estes said during a presentation to the subcommittee of the Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force. He added that the change could come in the form of block grants and would “put at risk eligibility, benefits and access to health care including mental‑health treatment.”

The presentation said Medicaid (Apple Health in Washington) is the state’s largest insurer and supports hospitals, clinics and local behavioral‑health programs. Estes cited state enrollment figures, saying about 2.2 million Washington residents are enrolled in Medicaid, about 45 percent of children are covered, and more than 600,000 people statewide receive mental‑health or substance‑use services. He said roughly 70,000 Whatcom County residents use Apple Health locally.

Nut graf: The committee heard that abrupt reductions in federal Medicaid funding could force local providers to trim services and could increase pressure on emergency departments, crisis response teams and the criminal‑justice system. Committee members and staff described the issue as a looming local consequence of federal budget choices.

Estes listed local providers that rely on Medicaid reimbursements, including Unity Care Northwest, PeaceHealth and the Whatcom triage center, and said reductions could lead to program closures or significant downsizing. He said peer‑run programs such as NAMI’s local peer support could also lose funding.

Members asked about the state’s response and whether Washington is planning offsets. Tori Sandoz asked whether the state intends to preserve funding or rely on a block grant; Estes said he did not have specific state‑level answers and described the matter as under debate in Olympia and Washington, D.C. Dean White and Hannah Fisk said county and health‑department staff were monitoring potential impacts but could not yet quantify them.

Estes urged committee members to track federal action and to contact U.S. senators. He closed his presentation with, “We need care not cuts,” and noted local rallies opposing deep cuts.

Ending: Subcommittee members said they will continue to monitor federal and state budget developments and look for opportunities to coordinate local testimony and outreach. The committee did not take any formal action at the meeting.","A presentation to the Whatcom County Behavioral Health Subcommittee said proposed House budget changes — including a possible block grant — could reduce Medicaid funding over a decade and harm local mental‑health and substance‑use services, providers and safety‑net care.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Whatcom subcommittee reviews reentry, Division Street campus and mobile clinic updates

Whatcom Community College expands SUDP training as local behavioral‑health workforce remains stretched

VillageReach metrics raise definitional questions on 'serious mental illness' and recidivism

Whatcom presenters warn House budget Medicaid cuts could strain local behavioral health services