#TheDayWithTrae - Trae sat down with Jennifer Winslow, the Strategic Planning Manager for King County's Crisis Care Centers Initiative. She was a licensed mental health clinician from St. Louis, Missouri, who now works to expand behavioral health crisis care in Washington state. Her passion for this work stemmed from growing up in a family where mental health was openly discussed, inspired by her late mother, a social worker.

Winslow emphasized the importance of reducing the stigma around mental health and substance use, advocating for compassion and grace when addressing these issues. She highlighted that the new Crisis Care Centers provide a safe space for individuals in crisis to seek help without judgment, emphasizing that anyone can define their own crisis. This initiative was a response to the increasing rates of fentanyl deaths and the lack of sufficient services beyond education and prevention.

King County's Crisis Care Centers Initiative, approved by voters through a levy, aimed to establish a network of crisis care centers, provide funding for mental health residential beds, and invest in the workforce. The centers would offer three components: behavioral health urgent care, a 23-hour observation unit, and a 14-day stabilization period with up to 16 beds. The first center, Connections Health Solution in Kirkland, was already open 24/7, and King County was working to open four more centers across the region, including one for youth.

In addition to the crisis care centers, King County has also launched new mobile crisis teams, trained mental health first responders who can be dispatched through the 988 crisis line. These teams offered in-person de-escalation and connected individuals to supportive services and the crisis care centers. This comprehensive approach aimed to provide holistic care, ease the burden on emergency rooms, and offer a much-needed alternative to traditional law enforcement responses for mental health crises. Learn More: http://www.kingcounty.gov/crisis-care-centers