Everett, Washington-based Compass Health has launched “It’s Time: The Campaign for Compass Health,” a $14 million capital campaign to fund a state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the intensive mental health needs of Northwest Washington’s most vulnerable populations.
Compass Health’s first-ever capital campaign has already raised over $10 million from lead funders. To date, the organization has received $3 million from the Sunderland Foundation, $2 million in Community Project Funding championed by U.S. Representative Rick Larsen, $1 million from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, $1 million from The Norcliffe Foundation and $600,000 from Premera Blue Cross, along with more than 30 significant private gifts.
“The champions of this project are community members who care about addressing some of the most urgent needs facing our region,” said Tom Sebastian, president and CEO of Compass Health. “We are grateful for the support we’ve received from philanthropic organizations, lawmakers, business and community leaders and dedicated neighbors who wholeheartedly believe in our mission and vision for the Broadway Campus Redevelopment project.”
The facility — the second of a three-phase campus redevelopment — will house evidence-based treatment programs and services for individuals with intensive mental health needs. For example, a 16-bed involuntary evaluation and treatment unit will allow providers to connect adults with behavioral health disorders to inpatient services in an acute setting with support available 24 hours a day. For adults with behavioral health disorders that require a lower intensity of care that is focused on long-term, consistent contact and outreach, providers can enroll patients in the outpatient program and services available, helping these individuals avoid emergency department or inpatient stays.
To further alleviate demand for local resources, such as hospitals, law enforcement and community responders, the facility will house a 16-bed voluntary crisis triage center to offer short-term support for those experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The center will enable law enforcement drop-offs, allowing first responders to bring individuals in crisis directly to the center for immediate care. Treating mental health crises in the triage center is also more cost-effective and supports better outcomes than emergency department or inpatient hospital visits, which are not intended or equipped to address these needs.
Overall, the facility is projected to be complete in early 2025 at a cost of $64 million. In addition to the $14 million that the campaign seeks to raise, Compass Health has received significant investment from the State of Washington, including $21 million from competitive and direct appropriations. Philanthropic and public funding sources will help Compass Health leverage investment from the Federal New Markets Tax Credit program that will deliver an additional $10 million to $12 million, and the project’s remaining balance will be secured through private financing sources.
Compass Health anticipates the facility will have the capacity to serve an estimated 1,500 individuals through more than 30,000 points of service each year. Importantly, individuals will be able to remain in the community during treatment, allowing for family visits, care coordination and more seamless transition to other services when ready for less-intensive care.
“One of the most important aspects of Compass Health’s care delivery is that we focus on providing community-based treatment,” said Stacey Alles, chief operating officer of Compass Health. “This allows us to provide help to clients where they are, and through this timely treatment, we can improve outcomes and the overall health of our communities. This new facility will enable residents to access immediate care for their needs, offering alternative options to hospitalizations and ensuring the necessary access and support is maintained, as long as they need it.”
Compass Health’s Broadway Campus Redevelopment project encompasses the entire 3300 block of Broadway in Everett and accommodates a broad range of behavioral health services. Its 81-unit permanent supportive housing facility, Andy’s Place, officially opened in May of 2021, and is now fully leased.
