(The Center Square) – Following on the heels of $25 million in grants to address racism as a public health crisis, King County announced Monday another round of funding in the public health sphere for $30 million.
Announced Monday by King County Executive Dow Constantine, the funds headed for Medicaid providers are meant to allow “behavioral health agencies to increase salaries and help stabilize the workforce.”
“At King County, we envision a behavioral health system that is connected, accessible, and culturally responsive, and can meet the growing need for care, none of which is possible without a strong workforce,” said Executive Constantine in a statement. “Behavioral healthcare has been devalued for too long, and we must stabilize and strengthen the system to meet the demand.
“Investing in the behavioral health workforce is a key component of the Crisis Care Centers initiative and is central to King County’s efforts in addressing a crumbling behavioral health system and increasing access to services and treatment,” according to the news release accompanying the announcement.
The funding will apply to “all Medicaid behavioral health providers and services within the King County Integrated Care Network,” or KCICN, and will go into effect this month but will apply retroactively from Jan. 1, 2023, onwards.
The KCICN is a partnership consisting of “over 40 community-based behavioral health agencies and five managed care organizations: Amerigroup, Community Health Plan of Washington, Coordinated Care, Molina Healthcare, and United Healthcare to provide care for people enrolled in Medicaid in this region.”
The funds will result in a “15 percent Medicaid rate increase to help stabilize the behavioral health system in the region” and will be administered by the King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division, which is itself a part of the Department of Community and Human Services.
“This 15 percent increase for community behavioral health providers is critically important to secure a more holistic approach in addressing the growing needs and complex mental health challenges in our region,” said Asian Counseling and Referral Service Executive Director Michael Byun in a statement. ”The number of American born Asians who hold multiple identities from race to sexuality is growing, and we need resources to train and support existing clinicians to better serve these populations.”
The rate increase will apply to both Medicaid and state-funded programs, as well as programs where Medicaid is only part of the overall funding source.
According to the news release, the state budget also “invests in a 15 percent Medicaid rate increase in 2024.”
