2022 DSHS News Releases

Welcome to DSHS' news releases for 2022. You may search by keyword and release number.

To read archived news releases, please choose the appropriate year below:

OLYMPIA — Did you know LGBTQ+ older adults make up 2.7 million of our country’s aging population, a number that’s expected to double by 2030? Older LGBTQ+ people are less likely than their non-LGBTQ+ peers to have children and more likely to take on informal, unpaid caregiving roles. Unpaid caregiving accounts for 85% of all elder care in the United States, and ...read the full news release


Reports of adult abuse remain high in Washington state

Jun 09 2022

DSHS Office of Communications, Chris Wright,

OLYMPIA — Adult Protective Services, a division of the Department of Social and Health Services, received more than 66,600 reports of vulnerable adult abandonment, abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and self-neglect in 2021. Reports to APS have more than tripled in the past decade.

“These numbers, while high, may actually be underreported since many seniors have been isolated from their loved ones and community members during the pandemic,” said DSHS Secretary Jilma Meneses. “With ...read the full news release

OLYMPIA — The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington this week dismissed a class action lawsuit filed against the WA Cares Fund, the first-of-its kind program that ensures all Washingtonians have access to long-term care when they need it ...read the full news release


DSHS announces new Economic Services Administration Assistant Secretary

Apr 15 2022

DSHS Office of Communications, Norah West, 360-489-5587

OLYMPIA - Secretary Jilma Meneses announced today she has appointed Tony Bowie to be Assistant Secretary for the Department of Social and Health Services' Economic Services Administration, effective May 1. Bowie has served since August 2021 as interim Chief Executive Officer at Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake, Washington and was previously Chief Executive Officer at the agency's Child Study and Treatment Center in Steilacoom, Washington. Read more on the ...read the full news release


DSHS announces new Eastern State Hospital CEO

Apr 07 2022

DSHS Office of Communications, Chris Wright,

The Department of Social and Health Services has hired a new chief executive officer at Eastern State Hospital.

Eric Carpenter, who brings with him years of health care executive leadership in both behavioral and community health, will officially start with the department’s Behavioral Health Administration on June 1.

Most recently, he was the senior leadership executive of planning and operations for various health care systems and nonprofits across the United States.

...read the full news release