Welcome to Skagit County
March 12th, 2007
OPEN HOUSE SLATED FOR NEW SKAGIT COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS CENTER
SKAGIT COUNTY – An Open House is scheduled for Thursday, March 29, 2007 at 12:30 p.m. to celebrate the formal opening of the new Skagit County Behavioral Health Crisis Center located at 201 Lila Lane in Burlington. Facility tours will begin at 12:30 p.m. with the formal ribbon cutting at 1:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
“The newly remodeled and renovated 3,400 square foot facility will provide a 12-bed crisis center serving adults in crisis because of mental illness, chemical dependency, or both, and who are medically stable and willing to admit themselves voluntarily," said David Asia, PhD, Substance Abuse Program Coordinator for Skagit County Human Services.
According to Asia, the facility will not serve individuals who are registered sex offenders, who have a recent history of arson, or have a history of violent offenses. The facility is not a “drop-in” center.
“The development of a behavioral health crisis center has been a topic of discussion in Skagit County since the late 1980s,” said Asia. “Since then, the goal has always been to provide alternatives to jail and lengthy supervision in emergency rooms for individuals who are non-violent and do not present a threat to the community,” said Asia.
The program in the new facility will be staffed and managed by Compass Health with two paraprofessional staff on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition, there will be a full-time case manager/clinician providing referral and support for clients. “This facility removes a burden from the county emergency departments and provides an ease of access for appropriate individuals referred by law enforcement,” said Asia.
The contractor for the facility was Van Rossen Construction of Everett. The architect was Tom Theisen of Mount Vernon. The cost of the renovation was approximately $375,000.
“This is a much needed facility in Skagit County,” said Skagit County Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt. “We really applaud our staff involved in this project and thank our cities for their assistance in bringing this project to reality.”
“The cities of Anacortes, Burlington, Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley and the towns of LaConner, Hamilton, Lyman and Concrete all committed funds from their alcohol excise tax receipts making this project possible,” said Dahlstedt.
“This is a true collaborate effort where the towns, cities, and county have come together to meet the needs of families suffering from substance abuse and mental illness,” said Dahlstedt. “We thank them for their contribution to this continuing effort.”
For further information,
contact: David Asia, PhD
Skagit County Human Services
(360)336-9323