Washington State DSHS Proposes Mental Health Facility In Vancouver

The Washington State Department of Social and Health services announced that Vancouver could become the first city in the state to see a new mental health evaluation and treatment facility intended to treat individuals in a more intimate setting closer to home. It is part of the state’s shift toward regional mental health treatment centers and less reliance on Western State Hospital, a large psychiatric facility in Lakewood.

The agency is planning a 48-bed behavioral health community that would provide 90- and 180-day stays under the Involuntary Treatment Act. The law allows people to be civilly committed . . .