County Council confirms members of Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Oversight Committee

Panel to ensure wise investment of public funds for diversion of mentally ill and chemically dependent from jails and emergency rooms

The first 15 members of a panel that will oversee the programs and services to be funded under the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Action Plan were unanimously confirmed today by the Metropolitan King County Council.

“We have limited funds for new treatment programs, and this panel will help us measure if we are successfully promoting recovery and lowering unnecessary and costly involvement in the criminal justice and emergency medical systems,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson, chair of the Council’s Operating Budget Committee that is overseeing the implementation of the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Action Plan.

In November, the county enacted a one-tenth of one cent sales tax to fund the strategies and programs outlined in King County’s Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Action Plan. The programs are designed to stabilize people suffering from mental illness and chemical dependency. One emphasis is to provide treatment for those cycling through jails and emergency rooms.

The oversight panel will provide recommendations on the implementation and effectiveness of the programs funded through the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency (MIDD) sales tax. The full 30-member committee will consist of individuals with backgrounds in mental health and alcohol and drug dependency treatment, as well as representatives of the King County Sheriff, County Prosecutor, Harborview Medical Center and the Committee to End Homelessness in King County.

The committee’s responsibilities include:

• Reviewing emerging and evolving priorities for use of the MIDD sales tax funds,
• Providing a forum for coordination and collaboration between the agencies involved in implementing the MIDD sales tax-funded programs,
• Educating the public, policymakers and stakeholders on MIDD sales tax-funded programs, ongoing needs, strategies and outcomes, and
• Coordinating the sharing of information with other related efforts and ongoing groups such as the Committee to End Homelessness in King County, the Veterans and Human Services Levy Service Improvement Plan, and the county Recovery Plan.

The 15 panelists confirmed today by the Council are:

• The Honorable Phil Noble: A member of the Bellevue City Council, Noble is a member of the United Way Eastside Multi Services Panel and the King County Committee to End Homelessness. Noble is a past chair of the Eastside Human Services Forum.
• Mario Paredes: Executive Director of Consejo Counseling and Referral Service, one of the largest behavioral health agencies in Washington. Paredes is the President of the Board of Directors of the Minority Executive Directors Coalition and past chair of the King County Coalition against Domestic Violence.
• Mary Ellen Stone: Executive Director of the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, the largest sexual assault victim's service organization in Washington. Stone is a member of the Board of the South King Council of Human Services.
• Kurt Ofsthus: Clinical Care Coordinator at the West Seattle Psychiatric Hospital, one of the largest private mental health service providers in King County.
• Nancy Cole: A developer for Common Ground, an agency dedicated to creating and preserving housing for persons with low incomes and special needs throughout Washington State. Cole was a member of the team that helped develop a statewide mental health plan in 2007.
• Norman Johnson: Executive Director of Therapeutic Health Services, a Seattle-based non-profit agency that works with families affected by drug and alcohol abuse and mental illness issues. Johnson is a member of the Casey Family Program Drug and Alcohol Advisory Committee.
• The Honorable Pete Lewis: Elected Mayor of Auburn in 2002 after serving 4 years on the Auburn City Council. He is member of the South King County Human Services Forum and a board member of the Suburban Cities Association.
• Mary Littlejohn: Executive Manager of Seattle Mayor Greg Nickel’s Human Services Team. She is a past director of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Office in the city of Seattle’s Human Services Department.
• Donald Madsen: Managing Director for the Associated Council for the Accused, the primary public defender agency for King County and the city of Seattle.
• Crystal Tetrick: Associate Director of Health Care Operations for the Seattle Indian Health Board, the non-profit program that serves the healthcare needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives living in Seattle and King County.
• Shirley Havenga: CEO of Community Psychiatric Clinic, a non-profit organization that provides a variety of mental health services. Havenga is a board member of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare.
• Michael Heinisch: Executive Director of Kent Youth and Family Services, which provides professional counseling, education and support services to children, youth and their families throughout south King County. Heinisch is a member of the King County Committee to End Homelessness.
• Darcy Jaffe: Adjunct faculty at the University of Washington’s School of Nursing. Jaffe is also the Interim Assistant Administrator for Ambulatory and Allied Care Services at Harborview Medical Center.
• Merril Cousin: Executive Director of the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and past chair of the King County Alliance for Human Services.
• William Callicoat, Jr.: Director of Financial Policy for the Washington State Hospital Association.

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system.
Type in 2008-0284 through 2008-0298”