Emerald City Behavioral Health proposes Medicaid-funded therapeutic-court services for Cowlitz County

Michael Clark, chief operating officer of Emerald City Behavioral Health, told the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners at a Monday workshop in Longview that his company would serve as the county’s therapeutic-court treatment provider and bill Medicaid for services rather than relying on county funds. “What I’m asking for today is straightforward. A resolution of support confirming that Emerald City Behavioral Health will serve as this county's therapeutic court treatment provider,” Clark said.

Clark described a model he said is already used in other counties: when the court refers a participant, Emerald City’s clinicians would deliver treatment, case management and peer support, bill Medicaid for billable encounters, and report aggregated outcomes to the court and county. He said Emerald City operates two outpatient clinics (Tacoma and Spokane), manages intensive residential teams and is building an intensive behavioral health treatment facility in Tacoma. Clark said the company would “hire and supervise the clinicians, deliver all behavioral health and case…