Construction picking up at new Washington psychiatric hospital
A rendering shows the design of the new Western State Hospital, set to be completed between 2027 and 2029. (Image courtesy of HOK Architecture)
Construction is ramping up at a new state psychiatric hospital as Washington works to meet continued demand for treatment of people accused of crimes.
The state broke ground in October on the new 350-bed facility at Western State Hospital in Pierce County. Work began in December, but picked up last month and passersby will start to see the building develop in June, said state Department of Social and Health Services spokesperson Jessica Nelson.
For years, the Department of Social and Health Services has been under court oversight to improve unconstitutionally long wait times for mental health treatment and evaluations for criminal defendants who are incompetent to stand trial. The new hospital is key to complying with a court-ordered settlement in the case known as Trueblood.
Washington is required to conduct an evaluation within 14 days and offer inpatient competency restoration treatment within seven days. The state has long struggled to meet those guidelines and has paid hundreds of millions in fines as a result.
At the groundbreaking for the new hospital in October, then-Gov. Jay Inslee noted the rise in need for these services over the past few years.
'This exponential growth was not sustainable unless we really put pedal to the metal on our building programs with what we're doing today,' Inslee said. 'So we have invested tremendous resources to respond to this tremendous challenge.'
In February, the most recent month for which comprehensive state data is available, the average wait time for a jail-based evaluation was about 11 days. Inpatient evaluations took five to six days. Admissions for treatment took nearly seven days at Eastern State Hospital, near Spokane, and less than six days at Western State. In years past, this could take over a year.
The new Western State Hospital will be the latest addition to the state's bed capacity.
In 2023, the state acquired and opened a psychiatric hospital in Tukwila for patients under civil commitments, freeing up space for criminal defendants at Western State.
Last year, the state added another 86 beds at Eastern and Western State hospitals.
In their capital budget passed last weekend, state lawmakers included $282 million for the final phase of construction at the new hospital. The budget now sits on Gov. Bob Ferguson's desk.
The hospital is aiming to help shift the focus at Western State more toward people entangled in the criminal justice system who need treatment and away from civil patients. Under that system, civil commitments would transfer to community-based facilities to get help.
Construction is expected to be completed between 2027 and 2029.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Construction picking up at new Washington psychiatric hospital
A rendering shows the design of the new Western State Hospital, set to be completed between 2027 and 2029. (Image courtesy of HOK Architecture) Construction is ramping up at a new state psychiatric hospital as Washington works to meet continued demand for treatment of people accused of crimes. The state broke ground in October on the new 350-bed facility at Western State Hospital in Pierce County. Work began in December, but picked up last month and passersby will start to see the building develop in June, said state Department of Social and Health Services spokesperson Jessica Nelson. For years, the Department of Social and Health Services has been under court oversight to improve unconstitutionally long wait times for mental health treatment and evaluations for criminal defendants who are incompetent to stand trial. The new hospital is key to complying with a court-ordered settlement in the case known as Trueblood. Washington is required to conduct an evaluation within 14 days and offer inpatient competency restoration treatment within seven days. The state has long struggled to meet those guidelines and has paid hundreds of millions in fines as a result. At the groundbreaking for the new hospital in October, then-Gov. Jay Inslee noted the rise in need for these services over the past few years. 'This exponential growth was not sustainable unless we really put pedal to the metal on our building programs with what we're doing today,' Inslee said. 'So we have invested tremendous resources to respond to this tremendous challenge.' In February, the most recent month for which comprehensive state data is available, the average wait time for a jail-based evaluation was about 11 days. Inpatient evaluations took five to six days. Admissions for treatment took nearly seven days at Eastern State Hospital, near Spokane, and less than six days at Western State. In years past, this could take over a year. The new Western State Hospital will be the latest addition to the state's bed capacity. In 2023, the state acquired and opened a psychiatric hospital in Tukwila for patients under civil commitments, freeing up space for criminal defendants at Western State. Last year, the state added another 86 beds at Eastern and Western State hospitals. In their capital budget passed last weekend, state lawmakers included $282 million for the final phase of construction at the new hospital. The budget now sits on Gov. Bob Ferguson's desk. The hospital is aiming to help shift the focus at Western State more toward people entangled in the criminal justice system who need treatment and away from civil patients. Under that system, civil commitments would transfer to community-based facilities to get help. Construction is expected to be completed between 2027 and 2029. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
New Washington law adds certification requirement for dementia care
(Getty Images) Services for people with dementia at assisted living facilities will have to meet new state standards across Washington under a law Gov. Bob Ferguson signed on Wednesday. Senate Bill 5337, would require assisted living facilities to be certified by July 1, 2026, to care for people with dementia. This certificate is intended to help ensure the health and safety of residents, transparency for families, and appropriate training for staff. The Department of Social and Health Services would be required to create, manage and enforce the certification process. This bill 'brings a baseline level of consistency to the definition for memory care,' said Cathy MacCaul, advocacy director at AARP. Facilities do not have to use terms such as 'memory care facility' or 'specialized dementia care' to be considered a memory care facility. Under the new certification, facilities would be required to maintain staff onsite 24 hours a day and provide staff with at least six hours of continuing education. A publicly available list of certified assisted living facilities specializing in memory care or that have memory care units would have to be maintained by the Department of Social and Health Services. The department would also conduct regular inspections to ensure the facilities comply with state law. Facilities that do not comply could face civil penalties. Memory care or specialized dementia care services vary across the 237 assisted living facilities in Washington, according to an informal study by the state's Dementia Action Collaborative in 2021. This can make it difficult for individuals and families to understand the services and staffing that facilities offer. 'If a facility wants to say that they're providing memory care, they have to meet just some basic requirements,' MacCaul said. MacCaul said the bill was modeled after Medicaid definitions to ensure consistency. Older adults could outnumber children under age 18 for the first time in U.S. history by 2034, according to U.S. Census Bureau projections. 'We have to shift the way we think about all of our systems and make sure that we have adequate consumer protections, consumer awareness and transparency,' MacCaul said.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Dementia care facilities would have to meet new state standards under WA bill
(Getty Images) Washington lawmakers are looking at requiring assisted living facilities to be certified to take care of people with dementia. Senate Bill 5337, sponsored by Sen. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, would require the Department of Social and Health Services to create, manage and enforce a certification process for licensed assisted living facilities. 'This bill is around supporting people as they age and supporting families and giving the Department of Social and Health Services the tools they need for that work,' Orwall said. In 2021, an informal study by the state's Dementia Action Collaborative found there were about 237 assisted living facilities in Washington that advertised memory care or specialized dementia care, but their services varied. 'Currently there are about 126,000 seniors in Washington with Alzheimer's disease, which is about 10% of the population 65 and up and that number is growing every day,' said Brad Forbes from the Alzheimer's Association. The lack of standardized care can make it difficult for individuals or families to understand the services and staffing that facilities offer. 'The challenge exists when the individual gives their trust and significant payments, sometimes $10,000 a month, for what they think is comprehensive care designed for a person experiencing cognitive decline,' said Joanna Grist, a lobbyist for AARP. The bill would require these facilities to maintain staff onsite 24 hours a day, to have at least six hours of continuing education for workers per year related to dementia-related behaviors such as aggression, and provide to patients with individual and group activities. A memory care facility is defined as one that is devoted specifically to that type of care or that offers a special unit or wing for those with dementia. They help people with housekeeping, meals, snacks, laundry and activities. Under the bill, the department would have to maintain a publicly available list of certified assisted living facilities that specialize in memory care or have memory care units. They would also review facilities' compliance with state law and conduct regular inspections. Facilities that are out of compliance could face civil penalties. The Senate passed the bill 49-0 last month, and it's now moving along in the House. If approved, the bill would require assisted living facilities to be certified by July 1, 2026. 'As we age, we want everyone to get the care they need and deserve,' Orwall said.
