Episode 66: The state of mental health in Tacoma

Whether you’ve shopped around for a therapist in a moment of crisis only to find that none in Tacoma are taking new clients, or have struggled to get a family member a bed in a behavioral health hospital, if you’ve bumped up against our mental health care system it’s easy to feel like it’s broken. We spoke to Hope Sparks president Joe LeRoy, Comprehensive Life Resources CEO Kim Zacher, and The News Tribune columnist Matt Driscoll about the challenges that plague this system, and a few efforts underway to make it easier to access for those in need of help. We could easily have made six episodes out of this topic, and maybe we will in the future: This is an important conversation. Links Pierce County HSRI Report – Revised 2018 Kids Mental Health Pierce County – Statement of Community Needs Tacoma Pierce County Health Department Health Equity Info & Social Determinants of Health WA State Behavioral Health Workforce Assessment Healthcare Workforce Development Recommendations Help Me Grow Pierce County Data Summary Report Kids’ Mental Health Pierce County Elevate Health – Pierce County ACHHelp Me Grow Pierce County Beacon Health Options – Pierce County Crisis Info Comprehensive Life Resources HopeSparks Family Services He jumped in front of a train after being turned away by Tacoma’s new psychiatric hospital