New 23-hour Crisis Center was put on pause. Whatcom County wants to try again
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- Whatcom County will relaunch 23-hour Crisis Center plans after funding delays.
- The center offers first responders a treatment alternative to jail or ER visits.
- Officials seek sustainable funding and community input before construction begins.
When a first responder in Whatcom County encounters someone experiencing a mental health or substance abuse crisis, they have a few options. They can take the person to jail or to the emergency room if the situation warrants. If it doesn’t, they can bring the individual to the Anne Deacon Center for Hope, a crisis stabilization center on Division Street in Bellingham — but only if the individual meets specific eligibility criteria.
This means that in some cases, first responders have to leave people where they are without any immediate connection to support.
Two years ago, the county proposed a way to help bridge this gap: a 23-hour Crisis Center where first responders could bring people regardless of their insurance status or the meeting of certain criteria. Concerns over operational funding have stalled the project but this summer the county plans to relaunch its efforts to bring this resource to the community.
“We’re very nervous about the model even though we know the community really needs it,” Whatcom County Deputy Executive Kayla Schott-Bresler said.
The proposed crisis center is part of the Justice Project Implementation Plan, which was adopted in July 2023. Schott-Bresler said the county has already toured other facilities, and staff drafted procurements for an architect and a service provider that would operate the facility prior to the pausing of the project.
What is a 23-hour Crisis Center?
Malora Christensen, the response systems manager for the Whatcom County Department of Health and Community Services, called 23-hour Crisis Centers a “landing place” for people experiencing crises. These centers are not considered in-patient, so people can only stay there for up to 23 hours and 59 minutes.
While at the center, community members can be connected with resources like treatment, housing assistance and detox centers and figure out their next steps. Christensen said it’s important for these systems of care to operate in conjunction with each other “as opposed to building something new that then is going to be isolated and not connected to other systems.”
Connections Health Solutions is one organization that operates these types of centers nationwide, including one in Kirkland.
Connections West President Joel Conger said anyone can come in for support at these centers, whether it’s with family or first responders or simply walking in on their own. Once there, they can stabilize in a “treatment-oriented and safe environment,” which often includes recliners.
People utilizing Connections’ crisis centers have a median length of stay of 17 hours, according to Conger, and first responders complete drop-offs in 6 to 8 minutes.
“This not only saves first responders valuable time but also ensures people in crisis are treated with dignity and clinical expertise, not criminalization,” Conger said.
Connections often works with community leaders and government officials who want to learn more about the care model and how to potentially implement it in their communities. The licensure of these crisis centers was only finalized in Washington in recent years, and King County opened its first 23-hour Crisis Center last year. Connections was selected to operate the center in February.
The legal side
Washington counties were able to begin planning and implementing 23-hour Crisis Centers following the passage of specific standards and licensure rules by the legislature in 2023. Mandated requirements for these centers include a no-refusal policy for law enforcement, screenings for suicide and violence risks, and 24/7 staffing. Facilities are also required to have the capacity to accept admissions 90% of the time when they aren’t full.
State Sen. Sharon Shewmake was a sponsor of the licensure bill. She said she’s heard firsthand about the need for this resource to bridge gaps in local communities. The two major options that currently exist for first responders encountering people in crisis — jail or the emergency room — often aren’t appropriate, Shewmake said.
Emergency room visits are expensive, and Shewmake said nurses often have to take on the role of social workers in these instances, even if they don’t have the training. She added that the jail “just isn’t a restorative place to keep people.”
“I don’t think it’s just to put people in jail when they’re suffering from a treatable brain disease,” Shewmake said
Roughly 44% of people held in jails have been previously diagnosed with mental health disorders, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, and nearly two-thirds meet criteria for drug dependence or abuse.
This prevalence is the basis of ongoing discussions and commitments to have a dedicated behavioral health unit at the new Whatcom County Jail, which is still in the planning phases.
What’s holding up construction?
The biggest impediment to implementing the 23-hour Crisis Center in Whatcom County has been funding, according to those involved. The county has enough money from the state—including an $11 million grant—and opioid settlement funds to finance the construction of the crisis center, but finding a way to actually operate it without a deficit has been a challenge.
Schott-Bresler said that compared to other states, Washington’s insurance system is “quite flawed” when it comes to crisis services. Similar centers already in operation in the state have been losing money, and Schott-Bresler said having a situation like that in Whatcom County would be irresponsible — regardless of how helpful the centers have proven to be for communities.
“We’re kind of stuck,” she said.
The most important consideration in implementing a 23-hour Crisis Center is “ensuring there is a pathway to sustainable operational funding that enables the center to serve the community for years to come,” according to Conger.
Christensen said the county also needs to find a way to leverage the capital funds in a way that will benefit “the larger system.” Before staff can go forward with the center, they need to understand the needs of first responders, the legal system and healthcare providers, as well as people with lived experience.
The county plans to hold a series of stakeholder meetings throughout the summer to solicit feedback from the community and assess what their needs are. They will also be working with a regional behavioral health agency that’s collaborating with communities across five counties to implement 23-hour Crisis Centers, according to Christensen.
“We have kind of a tight timeline, which we’re self-imposing and trying to really dig in deeper on what model is needed,” Christensen said.
She said Whatcom County hopes to have “a really clear vision” for the 23-hour Crisis Center when the state legislature reconvenes in 2026.
Editor’s note (June 18): This article has been revised to clarify that the Anne Deacon Center for Hope does serve individuals who don’t have insurance if they meet certain eligibility criteria.
This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.