Developers, operators outline plan for 16‑bed crisis unit and larger behavioral‑health campus in Longview

At a Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, operators and developers seeking to expand behavioral‑health capacity in Longview presented a two‑phase plan: an initial, locally focused 16‑bed crisis stabilization and evaluation unit and an eventual larger behavioral‑health campus that could include an inpatient hospital for civil commitments now served by Western and Eastern State Hospitals.

Claudia Johnston, who identified herself as the operations lead for MLC Behavioral Health, said the smaller 16‑bed facilities are designed to “support your community” and provide crisis stabilization, short‑term evaluation and step‑down services tied to outpatient care and substance‑use treatment. “The 16 bed facilities are specifically designed to support your community,” Johnston said.

A developer and finance representative on the project said the team has a site under contract at 1826 First Avenue (the former Charlie’s restaurant, near the Hall of Justice) and is designing a small facility there; if state or federal grant funding becomes available they will apply, but owners have committed to continue the deal. “We didn’t get that grant, but the owners are excited enough about what our plans are that they’re gonna stay in the deal, and we think we can build it without a grant. We’re designing it anyways,” the speaker said.

Presenters and county health staff described how the planned units would be funded and used. Gina James of Cowlitz County Health and Human Services explained that most payment for these services comes through Medicaid and managed‑care organizations (MCOs) and that placement and reimbursement rules mean short‑term beds are prioritized for people from the local community and for patients referred through the state system. "The 16‑bed facilities are specifically designed to support your community," James said, reiterating that community residents would have priority for local placements when appropriate.

Presenters said the proposal also looks to larger, hospital‑scale solutions. They described the former hospital campus in Longview (an 88,000‑square‑foot facility identified in the meeting record) as a potential site for phased reuse or for a new ground‑up hospital; the team said it will schedule civil engineering and architectural reviews to test feasibility. The group also said the state’s financial penalties and settlement funds tied to the Trueblood litigation and state obligations to move civil commitments into the community create a potential funding avenue; presenters said they will coordinate with the Health Care Authority (HCA), Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and the governor’s office on larger proposals.

Commissioners, county staff and members of the public asked about bed prioritization, local access, zoning and the project’s economic impact. County staff and presenters noted jail capacity and single‑celling of inmates with mental‑health needs as immediate local burdens that a crisis stabilization resource could relieve.

Supporters in the audience said a centralized campus could reduce repeated, fragmented care and create local health‑care jobs. Presenters estimated that health‑care wages would be competitive and said the integrated model could bill Medicaid for many services, reducing reliance on local tax funding.

Presenters closed by saying they will pursue site evaluations and keep county officials informed. "We’ll definitely be keeping you in the loop and make sure that you’re informed of everything we’re doing. And we’ll start the process with looking at the hospital and looking for something probably close by to the hospital for the next civil commitment center," the developer said.