Dear neighbors,
Our behavioral health crisis is one of the most widespread and personal issues now facing Washington state. So many families have had to grapple with the reality of serious mental health conditions. Few communities are unaffected by the housing instability and addiction epidemics that result from untreated behavioral health issues.
We’ve learned a lot in the last few years. As Democrats, we’ve come together to build a new, stronger behavioral health system. By using innovative approaches, support for our workforce, community engagement, and higher levels of funding, we are making progress and building a healthier society.
Last session, the Legislature funded the construction of the new UW Behavioral Health Teaching Facility, a first-of-its-kind healing environment for individuals struggling with serious physical and behavioral health problems. It supports a full continuum of clinical services as well as serving as a home for the training and development of Washington’s next generation of behavioral health providers.
Last session, we also passed several bills dedicated to fostering statewide behavioral health:
- We established crisis relief centers to ensure that every Washingtonian has immediate access to treatment when they need it most.
- We expanded the services provided by the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
- We ensured patients would be kept on their lifesaving medication.
- We expanded and improved our behavioral health workforce, bringing in professionals from out of state, optimizing the path to becoming a behavioral health specialist, and empowering peer specialists who use their firsthand experience overcoming mental health and addiction challenges to help others.
My own bill, SB 5263, was passed and will create a task force and a state board to research the use of psilocybin (commonly known as psychedelic mushrooms) in treating PTSD, depression, substance use disorder, and other serious mental health conditions. High-quality research done at Johns Hopkins University and elsewhere shows that integrating proven psilocybin treatment techniques into therapy can dramatically improve the success of therapy.
All this was done alongside historic funding for our behavioral health treatment centers and programs.
This year, we’re keeping our foot on the gas. The governor’s budget includes $38.4 million to recruit and retain workers at Washington’s biggest psychiatric facilities, $64 million for new opiate addiction treatment programs, and $100 million for new housing projects, some of which will focus on supportive housing for those whose lives have been destabilized by behavioral health challenges. All of this without a single new tax.
I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues as we build on this proposal to create a budget that moves Washington forward. We have difficult work left ahead, but I know that when we come together as Washingtonians, there is no insurmountable problem.
Stay involved!
When it comes to solving our behavioral health crisis, your voice is vital. Public participation helps guide us in shaping better policy. You can register here to testify in person or remotely from the comfort of your own home.
Contact Us
Thank you to everyone who has reached out! I’d love to continue hearing from you, and I look forward to learning more about your priorities for the upcoming year. Send me an email at Jesse.Salomon@leg.wa.gov, or give me a call at 360-786-7662.
Sincerely yours,
