Washington state's behavioral health hospitals have reduced admitting time for mental health patients from jail to its facility, The Seattle Times reported Sept. 10.
Previously, patients often waited weeks or months to be admitted to state hospitals, likely spending longer in jail than they would if they pleaded guilty to the crime they were arrested for, according to the report. But a few changes have reduced wait times to a few days.
Changes include purchasing a new hospital specifically to house civil conversation patients, and expanding beds at current facilities. The state has also relied on smaller residential facilities to free up space at the state hospital and plans to open a 350-bed hospital in 2028.
"We're at the point right now where, if everything stays the same, we're doing exactly what we need to be doing," Tom Kinlen, the forensic services director for the Department of Social and Health Services, told the Times.
The change comes after a federal lawsuit that required the state to quickly evaluate patients for fitness to stand trial and move them into a state mental hospital for treatment if not. The state must also balance the need for beds for civil conversation patients — those charged with crimes but found unable to aid in their own defense.