CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
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A RESOLUTION requesting King County and the State of Washington to increase services to address behavioral health conditions.
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WHEREAS, the term "behavioral health services" is understood to incorporate mental health services and substance use disorder treatment; and
WHEREAS, King County created and operates the King County Integrated Care Network, which encompasses all behavioral health providers in King County who provide Medicaid-funded behavioral health services; and
WHEREAS, King County is the Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization for the county, which is responsible for the provision of behavioral health services to people who are in crisis; and
WHEREAS, the State of Washington has substantial influence over the availability of services and stability of the behavioral health workforce, including through investments in the newly created 988 hotline for mental health crises, setting behavioral health Medicaid rates, and provision of non-Medicaid behavioral health resources; and
WHEREAS, the 2020 Point-in-Time Count of people experiencing homelessness in King County estimates that 54 percent of people experiencing homelessness have a psychiatric or emotional condition, 44 percent have a substance use disorder, and 47 percent have post-traumatic stress disorder; and
WHEREAS, the most recent results from the Washington State Syringe Exchange Health Survey conducted by the University of Washington found that 82 percent of respondents whose main drug was heroin and 48 percent whose main drug was methamphetamine were interested in reducing or stopping their drug use; and
WHEREAS, the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 487,000 people in Washington need but do not receive treatment at a specialty facility for substance use; and
WHEREAS, the February 1, 2021, results of the Household Pulse Survey cond...
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