Construction is accelerating at a new state psychiatric facility in Washington as the state races to meet the mounting demand for mental health services, particularly for criminal defendants awaiting court-ordered evaluations and treatment.

Ground was officially broken in October on the planned 350-bed facility at Western State Hospital in Pierce County, a project intended to ease the burden on Washington’s strained mental health system. Although work technically began in December, it wasn’t until April that construction activities truly ramped up, according to Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) spokesperson Jessica Nelson. She noted that by June, the public will begin seeing visible progress on the building’s structure.

The DSHS has for years been under the supervision of the courts due to unconstitutionally long delays in providing mental health evaluations and competency restoration treatment for individuals accused of crimes but deemed incompetent to stand trial. The long-running legal battle, known as the Trueblood case, resulted in a court-ordered settlement that mandates timely access to services. Specifically, Washington is required to conduct mental health evaluations within 14 days and to admit individuals for inpatient competency restoration within seven days.

Despite efforts to comply, the state has frequently fallen short of these deadlines, racking up hundreds of millions of dollars in court-imposed fines. At the October groundbreaking, then-Gov. Jay Inslee emphasized how critical the project is for meeting rising needs.

“This exponential growth was not sustainable unless we really put pedal to the metal on our building programs with what we’re doing today,” Inslee said. “So we have invested tremendous resources to respond to this tremendous challenge.”

Recent data suggests the system is making some headway. In February — the most recent month with comprehensive data — the average wait for a jail-based evaluation was roughly 11 days, while inpatient evaluations averaged five to six days. Admission for inpatient competency restoration treatment took nearly seven days at Eastern State Hospital near Spokane and less than six days at Western State Hospital. These figures mark dramatic improvements compared to past years, when some individuals waited over a year for needed services.

The new Western State Hospital facility will significantly expand the state’s psychiatric bed capacity. Last year, Washington opened a psychiatric hospital in Tukwila dedicated to civil commitment patients, which freed up additional space at Western State for defendants involved in the criminal justice system. In addition, the state added 86 beds across Eastern and Western State hospitals in 2023.

In the capital budget passed by lawmakers last weekend, $282 million was allocated for the final phase of construction at the new hospital — a major funding milestone. That budget now awaits approval from Gov. Bob Ferguson.

Beyond simply adding beds, the project reflects a shift in strategy. Under the state’s evolving system, civil commitment patients will increasingly be treated in community-based facilities, allowing Western State Hospital to focus primarily on individuals entangled in criminal proceedings.

If construction stays on schedule, the new hospital is expected to be completed between 2027 and 2029. State officials see it as a critical piece of infrastructure that will help ensure people receive timely care and allow Washington to finally meet its legal obligations under the Trueblood settlement.

Originally reported by Jake-Goldstein Street in Washington State Standard.