County names operator for first crisis care center and details levy-funded roll-out of five centers

King County officials on Feb. 12 briefed the Regional Policy Committee on progress implementing the Crisis Care Centers Levy voters approved in 2023, including operator selection for the first center and a series of early investments to expand crisis response before the centers come online.

Susan McLaughlin, director of the Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHARD), said the county has selected Connections Health Solutions to operate the first crisis care center, a “launch-ready” facility in North King County (Kirkland). The county’s contract will include capital funding to purchase and renovate the site, $2,000,000 for workforce enhancements tied to that center, and operational funding to support day-to-day services. The county expects the first center to open in 2025, with up to three additional centers by 2027 and the remaining centers by 2030, per the levy implementation plan.

Kelly Reiter, director of the Department of Community and Human Services, and McLaughlin reviewed how levy funds, Medicaid and other payer sources will be braided to operate the centers. McLaughlin said each crisis care center will contract with King County and be part of the county’s integrated care network. Centers will bill Medicaid and private insurance where appropriate, and levy dollars will be used to fill gaps so services are available to anyone regardless of insurance status.

As part of “early investments” ahead of center openings, county staff reported these awards and commitments:

- $500,000 to public-health-led overdose prevention materials and distribution; - $16,800,000 in workforce investments, including $12,000,000 awarded to 37 community behavioral-health provider agencies to sustain and expand staff and $4,800,000 awarded to the SEIU 1199 training fund for a behavioral-health apprenticeship expansion; - $15,000,000 awarded to six behavioral-health providers to preserve and renovate existing residential treatment-bed capacity; - Expansion completed in December 2024 of adult mobile crisis outreach teams, adding 10 teams to bring the total to 27 teams operating 24/7 across the county.

McLaughlin described the county’s next procurement and program steps: a second RFP round for two additional crisis care centers (RFPs to select remaining operators will be issued in 2025 Q3), a request-for-information for post-crisis follow-up capacity, an RFP for jurisdictional support for siting/permitting/community engagement, and a selection timeline for residential-treatment providers later in 2025. The county will also expand 911/988 diversion pilots and intends to coordinate 988–911 diversion with communications centers.

Several committee members praised the progress and asked that staff continue community outreach in multiple languages and jurisdictions while the county stands up capital projects and contracts. Staff said they will circulate materials and continue community briefings as procurements proceed.

No formal committee action was taken; staff requested continued committee engagement as the implementation process moves forward.