The passage of Prop 1 creates an exciting opportunity for our department to have further impact on the health and mental health of people in King County and beyond. The $1.74 billion bond, passed with 77% voter support, will fund a new Behavioral Health Building which will add critically important space to treat the growing population seeking behavioral health services at Harborview Medical Center.

The bond allows for the consolidation of outpatient behavioral health services from across the Harborview campus into a single state-of-the-art healing and therapeutic environment that is safe for patients, patient family members and staff with the ultimate goal of reducing negative and costly outcomes such as jail, homelessness, involuntary treatment and suicide. In addition to the outpatient services currently delivered in the Pat Steel Building and East Clinic, the Behavioral Health Building will house the UW Medicine Behavioral Health Institute (BHI) and its programs including a 24/7 crisis stabilization unit (CSU), the First Episode Psychosis program and the Training, Workforce and Policy Innovation Center. The new building will also house community spaces and office space for clinicians, teachers and researchers. In addition, a renovation of Harborview Hall will add space for up to 150 respite beds for individuals living with behavioral health conditions.

The bond measure also includes funds for a new medical tower that will house expanded space for the region’s only Level I trauma and burn center and single patient rooms that meet current best practice standards. The bond will also fund the seismic stabilization and renovation of the Center Tower and Pioneer Square Clinic as well as the demolition of the East Clinic.

Predesign work for the Behavioral Health Building has already been completed. Preconstruction is scheduled to occur between 2021-2023 with construction taking place between 2023-2025.