$7 million in funds for mental health allocated to organizations in Kitsap County – Kitsap Sun
Money collected from Kitsap County’s sales tax will fund a variety of initiatives to assist those with mental health and substance abuse challenges in 2022, from a new animal-assisted mental health counseling program to a therapist to join the staff of a food bank.
The Kitsap County Commissioners last week approved recommendations for spending of $7 million in sales-tax funds for programs that will assist those with mental health and substance abuse challenges — about $1.5 more than is typically allocated.
The commissioners approved recommendations put forth by a citizen advisory committee for spending funds generated by the county’s one-tenth of 1% sales and use tax designated for mental health, chemical dependency and therapeutic court services.
For the past four years, the amount allocated has been around $5.5 million, said Gay Neal, of Kitsap County Human Services. But because of the effects of the pandemic on mental health and the need, commissioners approved spending an additional $1.5 million in reserves from the county’s budget to boost funding for the initiatives.
The advisory committee, made up of members appointed by commissioners, voted unanimously to recommend funding for 33 of 37 proposals submitted. Of the proposals approved, 21 are continuations of programs from 2021 and 12 are new programs.
“The advisory committee once again made a Herculean lift during the annual funding process,” said Kitsap County Commissioner Rob Gelder.
“This round not only provides funding continuation but also targeted investments in new and emerging programs in our community, positioned to meet the needs of individuals with mental health and substance use challenges,” he said.
Jeannie Screws, chair of the committee, said it was difficult choosing among the programs that applied for funding for the 12-month period.
“The process was extremely difficult due to the needs of the community being even greater this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Screws said. “Each proposal offered services that would greatly benefit our community.”
Therapeutic courts — such as behavioral health court, juvenile courts, and adult drug and veterans’ courts — received continued funding. Law enforcement in the county will continue to receive funds for crisis intervention training and for hiring a crisis intervention officer to coordinate response for behavioral health calls and reentry services in the jail, according to a press release.
New programs include animal-assisted mental health counseling, intensive therapeutic services for non-Medicaid covered youth, onsite counseling services at Fishline in North Kitsap and comprehensive services at the YWCA. Peninsula Community Health Services also received new funding to provide school-based health center behavioral health services for youth.
Seven of the 33 proposals focus on housing for individuals with behavioral health issues. Kitsap Community Resources and Scarlet Road, for example, were awarded funds for specialized rental assistance for individuals with behavioral health disorders.
Fishline, a food bank and social service agency in Poulsbo, will receive $136,000 from the one-tenth of 1% program. Fishline also recently received a $50,000 grant from the city of Poulsbo to use toward its free mental health counseling program. The combined grants allow Fishline to partner with MCS Counseling to provide a full-time therapist on-site five days per week, said Lori Maxim, executive director for Fishline Foodbank and Comprehensive Services. The goal is to begin the service as soon as MCS is able to hire a therapist, she said.
“This service will be the only no-cost, low-barrier therapist in our area with the capacity to initiate service to individuals within three business days of referral, addressing one of the most significant service gaps found in North Kitsap,” Maxim said.
The case manager at Fishline reports that three clients per week want mental health treatment but don’t have access to it. The new therapist will be able to provide treatment to those who request it, Maxim said.
“As we look to the future, we continue to seek innovative ways to promote dignity, respect, stability, and wellness for all,” Maxim said. “We believe adding accessible, no-cost, mental health counseling is that next step.”
Pendleton Place, a 74-unit apartment building under construction in Bremerton that will provide housing and services for those struggling with chronic homelessness and mental health issues, has been funded for the past three years as a capital project. Funds for 2022 will support housing specialists who are behavioral health workers, Neal said.
“This year we funded so many different projects and folks aren’t necessarily aware of all the supportive programming,” Neal said.
The one-tenth of 1% began in June 2014 to fund mental health, chemical dependency, and therapeutic court programs. Thirty-three programs receiving funding is a lot compared with previous years, Neal said. Typically there are around 20 funded, but the extra funding this year helps fund more programs — a response to the mental health issues that have arisen during the pandemic, Neal said.
Maxim said that research shows the rates of mood disorders have more than doubled since the start of the pandemic.
“The Fishline therapist is particularly suited to individuals who are increasingly at risk because they are from underserved populations,” she said.
Neal said the programs approve span “a continuum.”
“We’ve got prevention through Kitsap Public Health, a nurse visiting program on the mental health prevention range, early intervention through (Peninsula Community Health Services) and Olympic (Educational Service District), Bremerton Police and Sheriff’s Department crisis intervention, then therapeutic courts, then housing programs. And then it runs along the line of dealing with mothers who are pregnant all the way to seniors,” she said
She added: “It really runs the gamut.”