Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
County one of 22 filing lawsuit
DAVENPORT — Lincoln County is one of 22 counties statewide that filed a lawsuit against the Washington Dept. of Social and Health Services the plaintiffs say aims to hold the state accountable for “fulfilling its obligation to evaluate and treat patients with behavioral health concerns and would reduce further strain on a crumbling behavioral health system that the state legislature and local governments are actively working to restore.”
The case, known legally as Pierce County vs. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, is over the department’s decision to cease providing initial evaluation and treatment for “a rising number of patients” needing behavioral health support when exiting the criminal legal system, according to a Lincoln County news release.
The lawsuit was filed in Pierce County Superior Court Wednesday, Aug. 23.
“DSHS has selectively refused admission to civil conversion patients since at least Dec. 2022 and, on information and belief, has refused to admit any civil conversion patients for statutorily required civil commitment evaluations since July 13, 2023,” the lawsuit claims.
“(The Dept.’s) statutory violations deny conversion patients necessary mental health treatment and impede public safety throughout the Counties.”
The plaintiffs are seeking that the Court declare DSHS is violating multiple state RCW’s by denying civil conversion patients evaluations and treatments and issue a writ of mandamus compelling the Dept. to accept these patients for evaluations.
Counties in the lawsuit lean both left and right. Participating counties include Lincoln, Pierce, Asotin, Clallam, Cowlitz, Douglas, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Klickitat, Lewis, Pacific, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston, Whatcom and Yakima Counties, along with the Washington State Association of Counties.
A motion for preliminary injunction is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 8, according to the Pierce County website.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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