Crisis Solutions Center (CSC) opens in Seattle to serve all of King County

A unique coalition of government officials, law enforcement agencies, and social service providers announce the opening of an innovative new facility designed to divert people with a mental illness or drug dependency crisis from local jails and hospital emergency rooms and into King County’s Crisis Solutions Center (CSC). 

The Crisis Solutions Center is a unique 16 bed facility located in the Jackson Place neighborhood of Seattle. The Center, combined with a longer term respite facility and mobile crisis team, is one of 37 strategies funded by the King County Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Sales Tax, a fund created by the King County Council to support new or expanded mental health and chemical dependency programs throughout King County . 

The CSC is designed to provide immediate mental health and chemical dependency services to individuals who are in crisis. Individuals can be diverted to the CSC by either police officers in the field, hospital ER staff or first responders in order to avoid involvement in more costly systems such as jails and hospitals. The CSC includes a crisis diversion program where an individual can stay for up to three days (16 beds), and an adjoining program where individuals who need a longer period of stabilization and linkage to ongoing services can stay for up to two weeks (up to 30 beds).

For those individuals referred to the CSC by law enforcement, the person can avoid entanglement in the criminal justice system for a low level offense if they work with CSC staff to achieve positive outcomes.  If they choose not to, they will face prosecution.  Police officers may also refer individuals whom them encounter in mental health or chemical dependency crisis, but have not committed a low level criminal offense. 

The facility will be operated by trained experts in mental health and chemical dependency treatment employed by DESC (formerly Downtown Emergency Service Center).