Kent youth residential behavioral health facility gets $6M state grant

The state Department of Commerce has awarded a $6.39 million grant to Evergreen Haven LLC to build a 16-bed residential behavioral health facility in Kent for children/youth under the age of 18.

The grant intends to increase access to community-behavioral health services for individuals who need help in such areas as youth crisis intervention, substance use disorder, anxiety or depression, and behavioral and intellectual or developmental disability needs, according to a Aug. 4 state Department of Commerce news release.

Emanuel Shevchenko, director and project manager of Evergreen Haven, introduced himself during the public comment period at the Aug. 20 Kent City Council meeting.

“We propose to establish a voluntary assisted living home helping children with behavioral health, autism, brain trauma. …we select children who do not have violent tendencies,” Shevchenko said.

The state Department of Commerce announced $48.5 million in grants to 17 projects that will assist people with a wide variety of behavioral health conditions and offer community-based treatment for adults leaving Eastern State and Western State hospitals. Projects were selected from a pool of applicants requesting a total of $263 million, according to the news release.

“Here in Washington, we believe that everyone should have access to the quality health care they need,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong. “These state investments in behavioral health facilities will increase capacity for communities to serve people close to home, in familiar surroundings – an important component for successful outcomes.”

Shevchenko hasn’t applied yet for city permits, according to a Aug. 9 email from Matt Gilbert, city deputy director of Economic and Community Development.

“Mr. Shevchenko owns a residential property off of 224th on the East Hill, and he had an initial meeting with the city in October 2023 about redeveloping the site for some sort of group home type use,” Gilbert said. “His plans were very conceptual and the use was not well defined, so it’s not clear that it would be allowed. Since then no permit applications have been submitted.”

Although not specifically addressing Evergreen Haven, the City Council discussed land-use zoning updates and conditions for behavioral health facilities during its Aug. 20 workshop since more of those facilities are being proposed.

City planning staff explained to the council the zoning would focus on enhanced service facilities and intensive behavioral health treatment facilities.

Enhanced services are residential long-term care facilities that provides services and support to people for whom acute inpatient treatment is not medically necessary. Intensive treatment is for people discharged or diverted from state and local hospitals whose impairment or behaviors do not meet criteria for involuntary inpatient commitment and whose care needs cannot be met in other community-based placement settings.

Staff wanted input from the council about school distance buffers from the facilities (500 or 850 feet) and site conditions, such as landscaping and screening and conditions of approval. Staff is expected to return to the council in October for approval of a zoning ordinance.

Shevchenko emphasized at the council meeting that Evergreen Haven is for children and shouldn’t be treated like a adult facility. He said providers have demonstrated the facilities are safe and risks to the community are unsubstantiated.

“I urge you to support the facility as a necessary resource and to not be swayed by unfounded fears,” Shevchenko said.

Pleased to receive grant

The state Department of Commerce awarded the grants through a competitive process, according to the news release. The funds are for capital construction and equipment costs associated with establishing the facilities, and awardees must maintain and operate the beds or facility for the proposed purpose for at least 10 years.

“We are thrilled to have been selected to receive the grant from the state Department of Commerce,” Shevchenko said in a Aug. 7 email to the Kent Reporter. “This substantial investment into the City of Kent demonstrates the project’s potential and our city’s commitment to its most vulnerable residents. It marks a significant step forward and reinforces the importance of Evergreen Haven’s vision and goals serving the children and youth in our community.”

An opening of the facility remains a couple of years away.

“Expecting to begin construction in 2025, with a planned opening in late 2026 or early 2027,” Shevchenko said. “The timeline mainly depends on the length of the City of Kent’s permit processing. Our goal is to create a 16-bed residential behavioral health facility, but our community outreach programs are designed to serve thousands of children each year, providing essential services, education, advocacy and transition support.”

Shevchenko said he is in the process of hiring an administrator to manage the daily operations.

“The facility will be overseen by a dedicated staff of licensed professionals with extensive expertise in counseling, behavioral health and community support services,” he said. “Evergreen Haven will be located in the Kent East Hill area— a site chosen for its accessibility to major transit routes, proximity to parks, and strong community integration—while being sufficiently distanced from busy and noisy roads to serve as a quiet place of refuge, which is fundamental to our community-based program.”

Shevchenko listed an office address of 10029 SE 224th St., when he registered Evergreen Haven LLC as a corporation with the Office of the Secretary of State, according to online state documents.

Shevchenko said the project was initiated with support from the Evergreen Haven board, and that he has backing from several political leaders who serve on committees in favor of increasing behavioral health services in the state, including state Reps. Lisa Callan, D-Issaquah; Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines; Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac; Steve Berquist, D-Renton; Chris Stearns, D-Auburn; Nicole Macri, D-Seattle; state Sens. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond; Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma; and King County Council members Dave Upthegrove and Sarah Perry.

Other supporters include Michael Reading, chief of Crisis Systems & Services for King County Behavioral Health & Recovery Division; and Dr. Jürgen Unützer, a board-certified psychiatrist and chair of UW Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

For more information, go to evergreenhaven.org.