WA State Buys Old Hospital, Will Convert for Mental Health Needs
A former privately operated mental health facility has been purchased by Washington State.
The former center will be converted into a mental health facility
Gov. Jay Inslee's office announced Wednesday, August 9th, the former Cascade Behavioral Health Center in Tukwila will be converted.
The purchase was for $29.9 million dollars and will be able to house 100 patients. According to the state, it operated as a privately-owned behavioral health facility until a short time ago.
The Department of Social and Health Services will officially take possession of the facility on August 15th and then begin moving in civilly committed patients from other hospitals, as space permits.
According to information from the Governor's office, this facility is one of 9 planned mental health centers or facilities that will be opening between later this year and 2029.
Cascade operated the facility, which was owned by Acadia Healthcare of Tennessee. It was a for-profit facility, but company officials announced suddenly in June it would be closing, laying off about 300 workers. Few financial details were provided about why it was shuttered, but according to a Seattle Times report from June 16th of this year, company officials said, by way of a consultant, it was no longer a viable operation:
“A breadth of challenges created a situation where the long-term viability of the hospital was no longer sustainable."
WA state says the facility had a 100-person capacity, the Times report says the hospital, at its peak, could house 137.
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