Council releases dedicated funds to break the cycle of mental illness and chemical dependency

$50 million to protect the public, save lives, and keep people out of jails and emergency rooms through intervention and treatment

Individuals suffering from mental illnesses or drug and alcohol dependencies now fill our jails, courts and hospitals. On any given day, the King County Jail houses more mentally ill people than any other institution in the state after Western State Hospital. The criminalization of mental illness and the cycle of drug dependency are nationwide tragedies that deeply impact King County.

The Metropolitan King County Council today took a major step to break that cycle, protect the public and save lives by releasing an estimated $50 million a year in sales tax revenues that can only be used for mental health and chemical dependency services. It is the largest infusion of human services dollars in recent memory.

“These dollars will improve people’s lives by addressing mental illness and chemical dependency at their source,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson, prime sponsor of the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Action Plan. “These problems impact individuals regardless of income or class, and this focus on treatment and intervention will have a transformative effect on our community.”

The Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Action Plan (MIDD) is a countywide effort to shift the focus from incarcerating the mentally ill or chemically dependent to providing treatment that holds offenders accountable for their actions, reduces the motivation for common crimes such as car and ID theft, and restore the lives of those afflicted by these disabling conditions.

“We all have a family member or friend who struggles with mental illness, and until today their illness was compounded by the lack of services to improve their condition, said Council Chair and King County Board of Health Chair Julia Patterson. “I am proud to support this plan to profoundly improve care and treatment for the mentally ill and chemically dependent.”

“Funding prevention and treatment for individuals suffering from mental illness or chemical dependency is a better investment than paying for the collateral damage of allowing mental illness and addiction to go untreated,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips. “By taking a thoughtful, strategic approach to providing mental health and chemical dependency services, we have an opportunity to improve the lives of many individuals, reduce crime and homelessness, and save money in our criminal justice system and hospitals.”

It is estimated that 65,000 people in King County have a severe mental illness and that another 44,000 are chemically dependent. The funding released today will be invested in 37 strategies to provide preventive services, expand treatment, and enhance rehabilitation programs for people suffering from mental illness and chemical dependency. Funding will also be available for mental health courts, police officer training, stable housing, and a crisis diversion center to provide law enforcement officers and families with a treatment alternative for individuals in crisis.

Today’s action is the culmination of two years of planning, analysis, and community involvement to comprehensively address mental health and chemical dependency in King County.

To ensure that this new infusion of public funds is effectively spent, the Council required a three-phase oversight, implementation, and evaluation plan. In May, the Council approved the oversight plan, which established a 30-member oversight board.

The Council today approved an implementation plan that provides a detailed road map for how each of the 37 strategies should be funded, and establishes a strategic reserve for other new and innovative programs that may emerge over the life of this initiative. The Council also approved an evaluation plan that sets performance criteria to help policymakers measure the success of the strategies and programs.

“Approval of these plans will ensure that we are accountable to the public for their tax dollars,” said Councilmember Ferguson. “We must show taxpayers that their investment not only improves lives but saves money by reducing unnecessary jail and emergency room visits.”

King County is one of nine counties in Washington State to have enacted a special 1/10th of 1 percent sales tax for mental health and chemical dependency that was authorized in 2005 by the state Legislature. The sales tax, which is set to expire in 2017, amounts to one penny on a $10 purchase. The eight other counties that have adopted the funding mechanism are Spokane, Skagit, Island, Clark, Clallam, Jefferson, Okanogan and Whatcom Counties.