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Improving Mental Health Services in Washington
1 in 4 adults in America experiences mental illness in a given year.
1 in 17 suffers from serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression, or bipolar disorder.
The state Senate has passed a number of important bills related to mental health this session. If these bills make it
through the House, there is a good likelihood they may become law.
The Douglas M. Ostling Act (Senate Bill 5311)
This act is named in memory of Douglas M. Ostling, the Bainbridge Island resident who suffered from mental illness and
was tragically killed by police in his home during a health crisis in 2010.
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The bill, which I introduced in the Senate and Rep. Sherry Appleton introduced in the House, will re-instate
crisis intervention training as mandatory for all peace officers. This training curriculum was cut during the
recession to save money. Officers are given eight hours of initial training, then two hours annually to maintain
their certification.
Crisis intervention training helps officers identify and de-escalate situations involving people with mental illness
or those in a behavioral health crisis, and it is a critical component of knowing how to interact in a crisis
situation.
Had the officers who encountered Douglas Ostling had this training, the conflict might have resolved in a very
different way without the loss of precious life.
Joel's Law (Senate Bill 5269)
This bill is named for a Seattle man, Joel Reuter, who struggled with mental illness. Fearing he was a danger to himself
and others, his family attempted numerous times to have him detained. They were unable to do so because the
Designated Mental Health Professional who examined Joel did not find that he met the criteria for hospitalization. During
a crisis in July 2013, Joel was involved in an eight- hour standoff with the Seattle Police Department, and he was killed
after he fired at officers.
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This bill authorizes an immediate family member or guardian to appeal a Designated Mental Health
Professional's decision to a judge if their loved one is denied treatment under the Involuntary Treatment Act.
Addressing the Issue of Psychiatric Boarding (Senate Bill 5649)
This bill came about because of a critical shortage of beds within evaluation and treatment facilities for individuals
suffering from mental illness. Last August, the state Supreme Court ruled the practice of detaining a mentally ill patient at
a hospital without providing treatment because of a lack of psychiatric resources is not allowable.
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The bill holds health care providers accountable for providing an adequate number of evaluation and treatment
beds to ensure patients have access to treatment.
Additionally, the Department of Social and Human Services can grant “single bed certifications” to qualified
facilities like some hospitals and residential treatment facilities that are able to provide timely and appropriate
treatment to patients.
Improving Timeliness of Competency Evaluation and Restoration Services (Senate Bill 5177)
Currently, the Department of Social and Human Services is limited in where they are able to evaluate and treat criminal
defendants when the issue of competency to stand trial is raised.
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This bill expands the allowable sites for these evaluations in order to shorten the length of time patients have to
wait to receive these services.