Levy would create crisis care centers to fill mental health care gaps in King County

Imagine a walk-in urgent care clinic catered specifically to people suffering a mental health crisis. It's an idea Seattle City Council is urging people to vote “yes” on in the April 25 special election.

If King County voters pass the Crisis Care Centers Levy, it would mean more yearly costs out of homeowners’ pockets, at a time of high inflation nonetheless. Regardless, County Executive Dow Constantine says the investment would be well worth it.

"As a society, we have failed to provide this necessary service, and it is as necessary as firefighting, and policing, and all the other things," said Constantine. "We need a place where people themselves can go in a time of crisis, or police themselves can pick someone else up and drop them off."

[jeffreytan]

Why must homeowners pay for this service? Already I am paying more than $6000 in property tax this year and retired, with fixed social security income. This levy will drive me and many more seniors towards mental breakdown creating more to the existing problem. State should be tackling this and not punish the few who happen to have work and save their entire life just to have a roof over their head and then taken by the government because they couldn't afford to pay their property tax! VOTE NO!!

[chanvalentine]

I came here in '96, every siren that was heard on Capitol hill, was a overdose or mental health emergency.

[JYDIVISN]

What happens if the person having the crisis refuses the center’s treatment?

[douca]

Great job Governor Inslee! Destroying our beautiful state.

[eliaschevette]

I really hope they build them and hopefully with good results from them we can have 40 or 50 crisis centers around the state. That would be a real solution to so many problems we have in the state. Crime, homelessness, overdoses, mental health gab and stress on other services.