mental health
Oregon’s legal psilocybin clinics draw hundreds – mostly from out of state
This story contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. Hundreds of people have used psilocybin legally in Oregon since the first licensed center opened in Eugene in June. But only a minority appear to be from Oregon. Though […]
WA and 40 other states sue Meta, alleging Instagram and Facebook harm kids
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is joining a bipartisan multi-state lawsuit against Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta, alleging the tech giant has knowingly included features in its social media apps that are harmful to children’s health. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, argues that Meta […]
Washington faces steep path closing mental health bed gap for jailed defendants
Defendants with psychiatric conditions often sit in Washington’s jails for weeks and sometimes months, waiting for mental health services before they can stand trial. That’s despite a 2015 federal court order, stemming from a lawsuit known as the Trueblood case, that found the state’s wait times unconstitutional. Washington’s been in contempt of the court order […]
As union lawsuit falters, state readies Tukwila psychiatric hospital for patients
The state is planning to admit patients before the end of the month at a recently acquired psychiatric hospital in Tukwila, in spite of a union lawsuit seeking to stall the facility’s sale. Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services is aiming to accept about 50 patients before the end of October, agency spokesman Tyler […]
Violence against staff rises sharply at a Washington psychiatric hospital
Assaults on staff by patients surged last year at one of Washington’s state-owned psychiatric hospitals, although just two individuals were responsible for nearly 20% of the attacks, according to a new report. At Eastern State Hospital, which is located near Spokane and treats adult psychiatric patients, assaults on staff rose 63% from 2021 to 2022, […]
State completes acquisition of shuttered Tukwila psychiatric hospital
Washington will officially take over a closed Tukwila psychiatric hospital on Tuesday after spending nearly $30 million to acquire the property. The Cascade Behavioral Health Hospital purchase is expected to add 100 new beds for patients who are committed to state hospitals. Officials said this should free up beds for people in jail awaiting competency […]