Emerald City Behavioral Health proposes Medicaid‑funded model to run Cowlitz County therapeutic court services

Michael Clark, chief operating officer of Emerald City Behavioral Health, told the Cowlitz County Board of County Commissioners at a workshop that his company could serve as the county’s therapeutic court treatment provider and bill services directly to Medicaid, relieving the county of direct treatment funding.

The proposal would have Emerald City hire and supervise clinicians, provide therapy, case management, peer support and coordinate with probation and court staff; Emerald City would report individual treatment encounters to the court and aggregate outcomes to county leaders, Clark said.

Clark described Emerald City as an established provider with outpatient clinics in Tacoma and Spokane and intensive residential programs, and said it will open an intensive behavioral health treatment facility in Tacoma next year. He said Emerald City treats adults with severe mental illness and co‑occurring substance use disorders and operates an “enhanced services facility,” a step‑down unlocked program for people leaving hospitalization.

“If the court refers, we treat; Medicaid funds the services; the results come back to you,” Clark said. “This partnership is already…