Submitted by KM Hills.
On February 12, 2024, Careon released an email informing community providers that Recovery Innovations would be closing two crisis stabilization facilities in Fife and Parkland/Spanaway.
The Fife facility has been providing both crisis stabilization and evaluation and treatment (E&T) services for many years. The 12 beds for E&T services remain available until further notice. The Crisis Recovery Center (CRC) in Parkland/Spanaway is to close after just 36 months of operation. CRC receives significant financial support from Pierce County, and the photo is from the March 2021 ribbon cutting to mark the opening of the brand new organization.
Attendees included the county executive, council members, sheriff, Central Pierce Fire Chief, and Recovery Innovation executives. The facility opened shortly after the county Legislature passed his 1% behavioral health tax, which was supposed to raise $30 million in funding for such programs. Carelon’s email indicates that it hopes to find a new provider for CRC, but also notes that service disruptions are expected as of March 18th.
These facilities weren’t the only ones lost in Pierce County, as another crisis recovery center also closed shortly after MultiCare entered into an agreement with Greater Lakes Mental Health Care.
In addition to the previous loss of community mental health beds at Western State Hospital, these closures will have a significant negative impact on our community.
We hear all the time that there is a “mental health crisis,” and it appears that poor governance at all political and local provider levels will put Pierce County in a true crisis when it comes to mental health services. .
Jay Inslee is pushing a plan to involve mental health clients in small, community-based programs that have largely failed and are now closed in Pierce County. Government leaders have pushed for additional taxes to improve mental health services, but now Pierce County residents must be wondering what they’re getting for one-tenth of 1%.
