Whatcom County task force forms work group to study behavioral care center model

The Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force approved forming a behavioral care center work group to research and adapt a Nashville-style co-located model that pairs behavioral health treatment with criminal-justice diversion. The motion, read by Task Force co-chair Peter Frazier, asked the group to "conduct detailed research, engage local stakeholders, and make recommendations aligning with best practices in mental health care and criminal justice reform." Birdie Safford moved the measure and Dan Hamill seconded it; no members raised opposition or abstained before the chair declared the motion passed.

Why it matters: Task force members said the model could provide an alternative to jail for people with mental-health and substance-use disorders and help coordinate services among courts, the public defender, the prosecutor and the health department. Frazier said the concept was brought back after a 2023 visit to the Davidson County (Nashville) model and that the group already has a packet of background material, including a five-year outcome update.

What the motion covers: The work group will scope research and stakeholder engagement; Frazier said potential participants include the prosecutor's office, the public defender, the courts and health department staff. Members discussed overlaps with other diversion efforts, including a King County prosecutorial diversion program known locally as LINC, and noted the need to coordinate city and county funding, the behavioral health committee, and ongoing Division Street work.

Questions and missing details: Raylene King asked about outcomes cited in the Nashville materials, saying, "I saw that there was a 7 percent recidivism rate," and asked how many participants that figure represented. Frazier said he had seen a five-year update and offered to circulate it; he did not state the participant count during the meeting. Dan Hamill pressed for clearer scoping of the work group's remit, particularly how it will coordinate with the city of Bellingham's behavioral health funding, the behavioral health committee, and an existing subcommittee working on Division Street.

Next steps: Frazier said the task force will convene the work group and provide updates. The task force recorded no formal vote counts in the minutes beyond noting that there were no objections or abstentions when members were asked to register opposition.