Crisis center legislation would help bring solutions to crisis intervention, sponsors say

OLYMPIA — A bill to create crisis relief centers licensed by the Washington Department of Health will help bring solutions to many issues surrounding people going through a crisis if it is passed, local legislators say. “The mental health crisis is the number one issue we have in our country today,” said District 13 Rep. Tom Dent (R-Moses Lake). “We do not have the facilities it takes to handle it; we don’t have the treatment, we don’t have the workforce, we just don’t have it. And we’re trying to build it up, so this looks like a good idea.” Senate Bill 5120, which has already passed the Senate and is working its way through the House, would create local places for those going through a crisis to admit themselves voluntarily and get more specialized care and long-term resources, if enacted...