Poulsbo to provide services for RRC through grant program

By Tyler Shuey • November 21, 2023 1:30 am
City of Poulsbo courtesy photo Housing, Health and Human Services director Kim Hendrickson (far left) speaks to the Poulsbo City Council at its Nov. 8 meeting.
City of Poulsbo courtesy photo Housing, Health and Human Services director Kim Hendrickson (far left) speaks to the Poulsbo City Council at its Nov. 8 meeting.

Poulsbo is moving forward to provide medical, substance abuse and mental health services for the recently opened Recovery Resource Center through a grant program that would award up to $70,000 to providers willing to offer services at the center between November this year to December of 2024.

The RRC serves as a hub for multiple agencies and service providers in North Kitsap, city documents state. Some agencies/service providers are able to provide representatives on-site without charging a fee to the city (YWCA, Kitsap Mental Health Services, Fishline Comprehensive Services).

“We have found that providers of medical, substance use and mental health services require a fee to be at the center, however, since services that are typically billed through insurance or privately paid are offered at no cost,” per documents.

Housing, Health, and Human Services has a budget of $55,000, through a grant from the Olympic Community of Health to fund services at the RRC (distinct from peer support). An additional $10,000-$15,000 will be available, through the city’s liquor tax fund and opioid settlement fund, to pay for treatment. Grants will be awarded in amounts up to $20,000 and will be used to assist people struggling with drug and alcohol use disorders.

The item was approved as part of the consent agenda at Poulsbo City Council’s Nov. 15 meeting.

In other news, the council also moved forward to authorize up to 40% of local affordable housing tax funds to be used for behavioral health and housing-related services.

In 2021, the council passed a law that imposed a new sales and use tax of one-tenth of 1% to increase the city’s supply of affordable housing and other purposes, documents read. Cities must spend 60% of tax revenues from this local tax constructing or acquiring affordable housing, funding operations and maintenance costs related to new units of affordable housing, and/or creating and acquiring behavioral health facilities.

These funds must be used for land, building, and operations related to affordable housing and behavioral health treatment. Cities, however, may spend up to 40% of tax revenues on other services—that is, “the operation, delivery, or evaluation of behavioral health treatment programs or housing-related services.”

That item will be placed on the consent agenda at the council’s Dec. 6 meeting.