Connections Health Solutions seeks Federal Way support for King County crisis center; council raises site, capacity and oversight questions

Connections Health Solutions representatives asked the Federal Way City Council on March 11 to provide a jurisdictional letter of support for a proposed King County behavioral health crisis care center to serve the South Crisis Response Zone, saying the RFP deadline was days away and time was short to include a local letter.

The company’s government affairs representative, Michael Fransu, told the council that King County voters approved a countywide Behavioral Health Levy in April 2023 and that the county is now procuring operators for several crisis centers. “As part of the RFP process, King County requires that jurisdictions within which one of these facilities is going to be located put forward a letter of support,” Fransu said, adding that the RFPs for remaining sites were due March 21.

Why it matters: Council members and members of the public said Federal Way needs crisis services in South King County but want assurances that a center would not worsen local public safety or homelessness-related pressures. The council set March 18 as the next opportunity to consider formal action and discussed whether the mayor could sign a letter sooner to meet the county deadline.

Connections’ pitch and operations

Mackenzie Barta, a Connections growth manager, described the company’s model and results from an existing center in Kirkland. Connections operates multiple levels of care: a walk-in behavioral health urgent care, a 23-hour observation unit staffed for rapid assessment and stabilization, and a co-located crisis stabilization unit for longer stays. Barta said the model is “no wrong…