State achieves many milestones as first year of Trueblood project comes to a close

Release Date: 
Jun 26 2020
DSHS Office of Communications
Kelly Von Holtz
kelly.vonholtz@dshs.wa.gov
360-902-7739

OLYMPIA — Washington state has marked one year of progress in implementing a federal judge’s orders stemming from the Trueblood vs. DSHS lawsuit.

Trueblood challenges unconstitutional delays in competency evaluations and restoration services. The state has been ordered to provide court-ordered competency evaluations within 14 days and competency restoration services within seven days.

“Through partnerships with many local communities across the state, we’ve been able to make progress in transforming care for individuals who intersect with the criminal justice system in Washington this past year,” said DSHS Secretary Cheryl Strange. “We need to keep moving and help support those communities to make lasting changes for a better system of care in terms of both quality and timely access. I am happy that we have developed the state’s first forensic navigators program and that we have successfully opened the Fort Steilacoom Competency Restoration Program which helps to meet the increasing demand.  We have a long way to go in transforming the behavioral health system, and our key to success will be to get services to individuals with behavioral health disorders as early as possible long before involvement with the criminal justice system finds them. How we care for those with behavioral health disorders is a measure our humanity as a state.  Our work with our state, county and local partners is never done.”

Over the last year, the state has worked to build capacity so people experiencing mental illness and awaiting competency evaluations and restoration services while incarcerated receive these services in a timely manner and in an appropriate setting.

Three state organizations, the Department of Social and Health Services, the Health Care Authority and the Criminal Justice Training Commission, have worked with community partners, jails and other stakeholders to implement Trueblood.

"I commend the partnerships and progress made over the last year to transform the way our behavioral health system intersects with the criminal court system," said Keri Waterland, Ph.D., director of the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery at HCA. "Our priority is to ensure people get the support and care they need when they need it.”

June 30 marks the end of the first year and the first phase of the Trueblood project, which includes Clark, Skamania, Klickitat, Pierce, Spokane, Ferry, Stevens, Lincoln, Adams and Pend Oreille counties.

Milestones include:

  • A total of 13 forensic evaluators hired across the state to ensure that evaluations are done in a timely manner and that wait times are reduced.
  • Nine forensic navigators have been hired and will begin working with clients beginning July 1. Forensic navigators serve as officers of the court, liaise with community service providers, and perform quasi-case management duties to ensure clients are supported as they move through the forensic system.
  • The state has accrued more than $66 million in court fines related to the lawsuit, but that money has been held in abeyance while the state works to successfully implement the Trueblood programs. Those fines will not have to be paid if the state continues to be in compliance with the court order.
  • Renovation is underway to convert two wards at Western State Hospital and add two wards at Eastern State Hospital, which will result in over 90 additional forensic beds. These beds — 25 of which have opened at Eastern State Hospital — will make a significant difference in reducing the number of forensic patients waiting to get into the state psychiatric hospitals. Eastern is scheduled to open 25 more beds by the end of the summer, while Western will have 40 beds ready in the fall.
  • The jail technical assistance program was launched to provide information and training support to Washington jails when they have someone with a mental illness in their custody. This team published the “Best Practices for Behavioral Health Services in Jail Settings” guidebook, which includes pre- and post-booking diversion options; screening and access to treatment; guidelines for administration of involuntary medication; continuity of care; use of segregation; release planning; crisis de-escalation and more.
  • The Health Care Authority’s Housing Recovery Through Peer Services or HARPS and Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness programs have secured housing for 150 people since it began offering services in March 2020.

For a complete list of achievements of the first year of implementation, visit the Trueblood page found on the DSHS website.

Despite the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, many deliverables ordered by the court have been met, and progress continues to be made. The launch of the HARPS program delivered housing to more than 100 people, evaluators have continued to meet with clients in jails through in-person and virtual means, the PATH program has done virtual outreach and delivered food baskets to clients, and many meetings have taken place with representatives in King County to prepare for implementation there in Phase 2.

Meanwhile, DSHS and other state agencies have been working to ensure a smooth implementation of Trueblood-required programs in King County, which is the focus of Phase 2 that begins on July 1, 2021.

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