Poulsbo Housing, Health and Human Services has been awarded $200,000 by the Olympic Community of Health to work with community partners to create a Health and Resource Center.
“Poulsbo City Council has always been at the forefront of helping our community members struggling with behavioral health issues,” Kimberly Hendrickson, HHHS director, said at the council’s recent meeting. “I am here to see if you are inclined to do it again.”
Hendrickson believes the Health and Resource Center would be beneficial because of the new Blake state legislation.
“People who come to Poulsbo Municipal Court facing drug charges will have the opportunity to an alternative of jail time,” Hendrickson said. “They could use a case manager assigned to the center, visit the center on an ongoing basis and have walk-in access to substance use-order care, including medication assistance treatment, nursing assistance, counseling and other assets we will add as we go.”
The center would work with the Poulsbo Municipal Court and Kitsap County prosecutor.
The grant would be split up in a variety of ways. First, $77,000 would go to professional services, including registered nurses, project management and case managers. In addition, $34,200 would go to an 18-month lease, $3,000 for legal fees, $15,000 for administrative costs, $10,800 for recovery for rent, and $36,000 for supplies, including medications and emergency hotel vouchers.
Councilmember Connie Lord said, “This is an obviously wonderful thing to do. However, it would just be 18 months but what happens after that? I am in full support but I want to make sure we have our rear ends covered for the initial part so we can make this model going.”
Hendrickson believes due to the legislation the state will fund the majority of the center once it is running. In addition, the county’s treatment tax could be used for the center.
Hendrickson ended the discussion saying there is no place to go for locals in need. “What you have been encouraging and funding for years are navigation programs,” Hendrickson said. “We are finally making a place to go and get connected to a prescription or case manager for the first time.”
Although the council was in favor of the idea, it decided not to move it to the consent agenda yet. Instead, the council would like to discuss it with Hendrickson in a few more workshops before pushing it further along.
