Originally published in The Seattle Times August 16, 2023

In April, the special ballot measure for the Crisis Care Centers Levy, which funds behavioral urgent care, passed with a whopping 57% of the vote. King County Executive Dow Constantine said at the time, “With this strong approval, we will chart a path forward to provide the help people need and deserve.” As we approach fall, the public has heard little about the next steps. The region is suffocating under the weight of unmet mental health needs, a lack of treatment beds and a dwindling workforce. Where’s the promised urgency?

I am the single parent of a teen with early onset schizophrenia, and the system has routinely failed us. I wrote Op-Eds supporting the King County levy. The centers will provide a safe space for those in crisis to regain balance. My child has had few options of where to go in a crisis; the levy funds a center specifically for children and youth, which means a lot to families like mine. After a victory lap, I was eager to hear more about next steps after working with community groups to pass the levy. I searched online for more information about planning and contacted my King County council member, Sarah Perry, to find out more. I learned the first two centers would launch in 2025, and one more facility annually in 2026, 2027 and 2028. As a voter, I believe that this significant detail was not clear during the run-up to the election. I’m no political neophyte and understand how the government works, but this is a communication misstep. Nearly 60% of the electorate is depending on the county to deliver on its promise. So, what’s next?

In my discussion with Perry, I learned the county recently named Kate Baber the Crisis Care Levy Planning Director. Her team includes Jennifer Winslow and Dr. Matt Goldman; they will drive the implementation process for this phase of the work. Baber is standing up her team and starting strategic planning meetings with community and system partners, and a work group for the youth center. They’re also planning community meetings, focus groups and listening sessions in the upcoming weeks. It’s clear Baber’s team feels the urgency. The goal is to have an implementation plan for the Metropolitan King County Council and executive by December.

Knowing that work has started is great news. The electorate needs and deserves better communication from the Metropolitan King County Council. Let’s keep the momentum going by fostering an environment of accountability. Supporters of the levy shouldn’t have to dig to find out what’s going on. Constantine owes us transparency on each step of the plan; we should understand the impact of each success and failure along the way. The community is a valued partner that has a right to answers about progress. Many people depend on these centers’ promises. Hopefully, we will soon be able to say, “promises made, promises kept.”