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Clark County Council urges state to seek emergency funds to open Brockman mental-health campus
Summary
Councilors gave consensus direction for county staff to draft a letter to the Department of Social and Health Services asking that the agency seek emergency funding to open a completed 48-bed Brockman facility designed for civil-commitment inpatient treatment.
Councilor Fuentes asked the council on June 11 to direct staff to ask the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services to seek emergency operating funds so a finished state-run mental-health facility near Washington State University Vancouver can open sooner than currently planned.
"The campus has been has completed its construction as of a few days ago, if I'm not mistaken. The facility will not open due to funding, paused by the state legislature," Councilor Fuentes said, referring to the 48-bed facility intended to reduce pressure on Western State Hospital by treating people with civil commitment orders.
The council gave consensus support for staff to draft and send the letter. Jordan Bogie, the county's policy analyst, offered to prepare a draft the same day. Chair Marshall and other councilors indicated they supported bringing back the draft for review; councilors voiced urgency that operations begin sooner than the potential 2027 funding timeline mentioned in the discussion.
Why it matters: the Brockman campus was built to increase local inpatient capacity for people under civil commitment orders and to reduce demand on regional facilities. Councilors said the services planned for the campus are "essential in addressing the growing mental health needs in our community." The facility's construction is complete but no operational funding had been approved by the state legislature, prompting the county's request for emergency appropriations.
Details and next steps: Jordan Bogie will prepare a draft letter addressed to Acting DSHS Director Bea Rector and return it to the council for review. Councilors suggested Councilor Fuentes work with Bogie on the language. Several councilors expressed support; the chair asked staff to return a draft at the next meeting so the council could approve the request formally if desired.
No formal ordinance or budget appropriation was made by the county at this meeting; the action was a direction to staff to prepare advocacy correspondence to a state agency.
Ending: Councilors said they will continue to follow the state's budget timetable and urged expedited state action so the 48-bed campus can begin serving patients as soon as possible.
