Kent City Council approves funds to fight youth mental health issues

The Kent City Council will spend $200,000 next year on programs to try to help youth before they develop mental health issues and commit a crime.

In wrapping up a discussion about the proposed 2021-2022 city budget at a workshop Oct. 27, the council unanimously agreed to spend $200,000 on youth behavioral health issues. The council will use funds from the recent 0.1% sales tax hike it approved that will raise about $2.8 million per year to pay for affordable housing and related services, such as mental health programs.

“I think it’s important if we want to make a good dent in this,” Councilmember Brenda Fincher said. “Youth have a lot of behavioral issues whether in the classroom or at home. …If we stop problems at the mental health stage, they will not get to the mental illness stage. …If we get to it early, we can eliminate a lot of those problems before it gets to the police.”

The specifics about how the money will be spent remains to be determined. City Human Services Department staff will research over the next couple of months which community programs focus on youth behavioral health issues.

“The YMCA has expanded to mental health services, so that is one thing to look into,” said Merina Hanson, city human services manager, in response to a question from Councilmember Bill Boyce about how the funds will be spent. “The MIDD (King County’s Mental Illness and Drug Dependency) group partners with and has a good understanding about who can do this work in the community. We can look into those options. This is something we need to pay a lot of attention to with youth isolated (due to COVID-19) and a lot of challenges at home. It is something to get out in front of.”

Councilmember Marli Larimer said the recent shots fired report by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office shared by Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla with the council indicated where help is needed. The statistics showed youth ages 18 to 25 were involved in the highest percentage of shooting incidents in the county.

“That 18-to-25-year-old group is not getting the services perhaps they need,” Larimer said. “To focus on youth mental health before it becomes a crime would be a good investment of our funds to provide services before youth reach that age group.”

The council initially had one proposal to spend $130,000 on youth mental health and another proposal to spend $70,000 on the same issue. The council decided to combine the two proposals to spend $200,000.

Fincher, who serves on the county’s Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Advisory Committee, said the group has heard reports about the large number of young adults incarcerated who have mental health problems. She also said other reports indicate domestic violence issues among middle schoolers and high schoolers who are in relationships.

“To change that early or address it before it occurs is extremely important to the community and the individuals,” Fincher said.

Council President Toni Troutner thanked Larimer and Fincher for bringing the youth mental health issue forward for action by the council.

“We can look at where to move forward with this and what the Legislature might do as well,” Troutner said. “We have a lot of time for the details. Maybe after the first of year we can look at the options we have.”

As for the 2021-2022 budget, the council plans to discuss the proposal at its Nov. 10 Committee of the Whole meeting and approve the budget at its Nov. 17 regular council meeting.