Local, region, and state leaders and advocates celebrate the announcement of Kirkland’s new crisis care center. (Courtesy of City of Kirkland)

Local, region, and state leaders and advocates celebrate the announcement of Kirkland’s new crisis care center. (Courtesy of City of Kirkland)

First-of-its-kind mental health crisis care center announced North King County

The facility in Kirkland is intended to fill gaps in the region’s mental healthcare infrastructure.

The City of Kirkland, along with the North King County partner cities of Bothell, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park and Shoreline, announced on March 8, the siting of a new multi-service crisis response center dedicated to serving the behavioral health needs of community members across North and Northeast King County.

The new crisis center is operated by Connections Health Solutions, a national provider of behavioral health crisis care. The facility is at 11410 NE 122nd Way in Kirkland’s Totem Lake neighborhood, conveniently located near Evergreen Hospital and Highway 405.

“The new Connections crisis response center adds a critical element in the continuum of behavioral health care for community members in Kirkland and throughout the region,” said City of Kirkland Mayor Penny Sweet. “This new center complements the Regional Crisis Response Agency announced in 2022, which will deploy Crisis Responders on some 911 calls for community members experiencing behavioral health crisis across the North [King] county region.”

The crisis response center will be the first of its kind in King County to provide a spectrum of care services, from walk-in mental health urgent care to continued stabilization of behavioral health or substance use crises.

“The arrival of Connections Health Solutions represents a critical step toward needed access to dedicated behavioral health crisis care resources in North King County,” said City of Kenmore Mayor Nigel Herbig. “A crisis does not only occur during business hours. In turn, our community must have additional resources when making an appointment or a waiting room does not suffice.”

The “no wrong door” clinic will be open to everyone regardless of the severity of need or insurance status, and care will be available 24/7 with no appointment required. Connections expects to open the new facility in Kirkland in 2024.

“This center is an important part of a sustainable solution for a strengthened behavioral health community care continuum,” said City of Bothell Mayor Mason Thompson. “We look forward to continuing to work alongside our coalition cities and Connections to open this critical resource for our residents.”

Connections’ effort to open the north King County facility is made possible, in part, by $21.52 million in financial support from grants from the State of Washington and King County.

“Providing a 24/7 place for people in crisis to receive effective care helps make recovery possible as part of a connected behavioral health system that provides people with the care they need when they need it in their communities,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “King County invested $11.5 million of state and local dollars toward this crisis center in Kirkland, and it’s the start of what we can achieve together when it comes to community behavioral health.”

Together with the national 988 Crisis Lifeline and the Regional Crisis Response Agency, the new crisis response center aims to fill a void of coordinated behavioral health care in King County by providing community members in crisis with three important resources: someone to call, someone to respond and somewhere to go.

“Crisis stabilization centers are an effective and important tool in our state’s efforts to address behavioral health issues and reform approaches to behavioral health care and public safety,” said Governor Jay Inslee. “Our communities need a place where people in crisis can go to receive compassionate and focused behavioral health care. Programs like this that allow for first responder referrals decrease the use of jails and emergency rooms, which are not well-equipped to address these needs.”


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in News

t
Kent man, 24, identified in city’s first homicide of 2025

Elijah J. Oceguera Bestgen fatally shot Feb. 7 in wooded area along Lake Fenwick Road South

t
Cancer Center is open and ready to serve South King County

Cancer patients can now receive treatment at the Valley Medical Center in Renton.

t
Kent officers part of CW ‘Police 24/7’ episode Thursday night, Feb. 6

Department also part of future episodes after CW crews responded on calls with police in 2024

An Amtrak train in Kent. FILE PHOTO, STEVE HUNTER, Kent Reporter
Pedestrian, 30, dies in Kent collision with Amtrak train | Update

Medical examiner identifies Kent man struck Wednesday evening, Feb. 5 near East Titus Street

t
NTSB rules pilot lost control in 2023 Kent small plane crash

Pilot and passenger were injured; pilot flew without receiving training in plane model’s operation

Courtesy Photo, King County
Man receives 35-year sentence for 2021 Kent killing of mother

Duane Bates borrowed pipe wrench from neighbor in beating death and later returned it

A city of Kent Public Works crew member chains up a truck Feb. 3 to help clear snow from streets. COURTESY PHOTO, City of Kent
Kent schools closed for 3rd consecutive day due to icy conditions

Kent School District cancels classes on Wednesday, Feb. 5

t
World Relief office in Kent faces challenging refugee crisis

Trump’s executive order to suspend refugee resettlement directly impacts nonprofit

Courtesy Photo, Kent School District
Kent schools closed Tuesday, Feb. 4 due to icy roads

Second consecutive day of no school due to road conditions

Courtesy Photo, City of Kent
Kent Severe Weather Shelter to be open nights of Feb. 3-7

Shelter downtown at Holy Spirit Church will operate from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. each night

t
Kent Police hire officer who fatally shot Kansas man while on duty

Officer previously worked for Olathe Police Department; remains subject of wrongful death lawsuit