Crossposted from Cultivating Connections

Today King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the county’s largest-ever investment in the behavioral health workforce, a crucial step towards meeting the growing need for mental health and substance use care. King County is awarding $12 million to help 37 behavioral health providers support, retain, and recruit employees, strengthening the local workforce, with an additional $4.8 million to expand the SEIU Training Fund’s apprenticeship program.

Supporting behavioral health workers is a key part of the Crisis Care Centers initiative, which was overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2023. The initiative will invest more than $160 million over nine years in the behavioral health workforce, which has struggled to maintain staffing levels nationwide. Read more.