Cowlitz County resident urges county-led behavioral health facility; commissioners agree to continue review

Larry Wood, a Cowlitz County resident and organizer with the 4 C's Cowlitz County Concerned Citizens, urged the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday to lead development of a locally controlled behavioral health treatment facility and a coordinated countywide program for people with serious mental illness.

Wood told the commissioners he and other community leaders spent several years studying homelessness and behavioral-health needs and presented a paper titled Behavioral Health Cowlitz County Roadmap. "We need a locally controlled comprehensive mental health treatment facility," Wood said, and recommended that the board "assign 1 commissioner to take the lead" and "assign a project manager to drive information, process and decision making." He also asked that the item be made a permanent agenda entry at future Tuesday meetings.

Why it matters: Commissioners and speakers said the county is currently relying on scattered services and jails to hold people with mental illness, which affects public safety, social services and quality of life. Wood and other speakers argued that a dedicated facility and a coordinated, county-level program could reduce repeated jail stays and improve outcomes for people in crisis.

What was said and discussed

Wood…