In addition to the operating budget, the House and Senate capital budgets were both released today. WSHA’s interest in the capital budget is in the area of funding for new mental health facilities. WSHA is very pleased both the House and Senate capital budget contain significant new dollars for construction costs of mental health facilities.
- Competitive grants: The House creates a pool of $12.4 million (of which $1 million is earmarked) while the Senate budget contains nearly $5 million. The types of facilities eligible to apply for the dollars in the competitive grant pool include those that would operate facilities treating involuntarily detained patients, including hospital psychiatric units and evaluation and treatment facilities, crisis stabilization programs, and crisis triage centers.
- Crisis triage facilities: The House earmarks $8.7 million for design and construction of crisis triage centers. The Senate does not specifically earmark dollars for those facilities.
Diversion projects: The Senate funds $7.5 million in “state mental health hospital diversion projects.” The House does not create a fund for diversion projects.
