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Pediatrician tells Oak Harbor advisory board services aren't coordinating well to protect youth
Summary
Dr. Garrett told the Police Community Advisory Board July 1 that agencies are not coordinating effectively to protect youth in Oak Harbor, citing easy access to fentanyl and methamphetamine, limited forensic and SANE availability and gaps in case management; the police chief said the city is exploring program and contract changes.
Dr. Garrett, a pediatrician, told the Oak Harbor Police Community Advisory Board on July 1 that local agencies need better coordination to protect young people, especially girls and children of color. "My big concern ... is improved coordination of services to protect youth in Oak Harbor," she said, adding "we're falling short."
The doctor listed agencies she said should be more tightly integrated, including the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), KADA, Island County Public Health, designated crisis responders (DCRs) and the mobile crisis outreach team (MCOT) operated through the North Sound Behavioral Health System. She said fentanyl and methamphetamine are "easily accessible" to young people and expressed concern about inconsistent access to forensic sexual-assault services and SANE exams at local clinics.
Katie Rose, introduced by the department as Oak Harbor's embedded social worker, described her role riding with officers and coordinating crisis follow-up with case managers and hospitals. "Primarily my job is the crisis collaboration, understanding the crisis that's happening in the moment and then coordinating with case managers for the long-term follow-up," she said, and identified a youth case manager, Mason, and case manager Courtney as part of the referral network.
Board members and the chief acknowledged constraints in local capacity. Members said the local detox facility has only 10 beds, limiting immediate inpatient options for youth; Katie Rose and others said some facilities have restrictions that prevent voluntary admissions in certain cases. Dr. Garrett noted some programs, including a youth navigator through North Sound, have helped fill gaps.
Chief Slowick thanked Dr. Garrett for raising the issues and said the city and county are revisiting how crisis services are contracted and delivered; he described plans to be involved in a regional request for proposals (RFP) process for designated crisis responders and MCOT services and said the city is exploring standing up a dedicated mental-health team. "We think there's going to be a higher level of care provided," he said, but added changes are not immediate.
The board passed no formal policy in the meeting. CAB members said the topics will inform an upcoming CAB presentation to the city council and further agenda items; the city aims to pursue contract changes and local coordination through the RFP process.
