DSHS to host ribbon-cutting event for opening of first residential treatment facility
Friday, Jan. 20, 2023
DSHS Office of Communications
Tyler Hemstreet
tyler.hemstreet@dshs.wa.gov
(564) 201–0027
(OLYMPIA) — The Department of Social and Health Services will cut the ribbon at the state’s first-ever civil residential treatment facility during a ceremony starting at 11 a.m. Jan. 27 at the Civil Center for Behavioral Health at Maple Lane, in Thurston County.
When the RTF starts accepting residents in February, it will become DSHS’ first facility that aligns with the state’s vision of transforming behavioral health and treating patients in the community and in smaller facilities that better meet their needs.
Gov. Jay Inslee, who announced the vision for transforming behavioral health in 2018, will open the event with remarks on the milestone and the state’s continued effort to add more bed capacity for those in need of mental health services. DSHS Secretary Jilma Meneses and Jeneva Cotton, director of civil residential treatment facilities for the agency’s Behavioral Health Administration, will also speak.
“This is a major milestone in our efforts to transform the state’s behavioral health system,” Inslee said. “We’ve successfully expanded options in private facilities throughout the state, but state-run facilities like this are essential for effectively meeting the needs of certain patients. Thank you to the team at DSHS and local partners who are helping us invest in and build a better system of care.”
At the 16-bed facility on the Maple Lane campus, residents will live in a secure setting for 90 to 180 days while receiving similar types of treatment.
“Our deeply held value is to provide person-centered care, recognizing the humanity in all of our patients, and we will use this approach in all aspects of patient care,” Meneses said.
While building the facility, the department prioritized a green and therapeutic design. Therapeutic design features include:
· Enclosed outdoor spaces, with both a large outdoor recreational area, and a smaller nature nook
· Landscaping designed for enjoyment and benefit of residents
· Natural light — 71% of regularly occupied areas will receive good quality daylight
· Resident gathering places
· Inviting resident rooms
Environmentally-friendly design features include:
· Landscaping that is native and won’t require irrigation
· Renewable energy such as solar panels to offset the carbon impact/footprint, which supports the requirement for new state buildings to be zero energy or zero energy-capable
· Materials that are conducive to good indoor air quality
· Built-in reduction of indoor water usage; DSHS anticipates a 40% reduction compared to standard code baseline
· Natural on-site resources such as retention and treatment ponds to manage 100% of stormwater
Design for the $20.2 million project started in March 2020, and construction started in Oct. 2021, achieving substantial completion in Nov. 2022.
After speeches from Gov. Inslee and DSHS officials, Maple Lane staff will host brief, small-group tours of the facility. Staff will host additional tours from 1 to 2:30 p.m. for community members interested in visiting the facility.
Media interested in attending the event are encouraged to RSVP to tyler.hemstreet@dshs.wa.gov for detailed parking instructions.
Community members interested in attending the open house portion of the event can RSVP to bhacommunications@dshs.wa.gov.