OPINION
Friday, May 2, 2014
WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | WWW.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
Page A5
Caring for our community: Kitsap’s mental health tax BY KITSAP COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Poverty and housing issues impact Kitsap residents in many ways. At last month’s Life on the Edge 2.0 Conference in Bremerton, Kitsap County Commissioners met with leaders from Kitsap Community Resources, Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council, the Bremerton Police Department and South Kitsap School District and other community members, to address these issues. We talked about bridging the gaps in human services and ways to attenuate these concerns with available funding. Recognizing and treating mental health is a vital
DRIVING CONTINUED FROM A4
very good job at any of it. The following morning, on the way to work, I saw a man brushing his teeth while driving. I must admit, I looked away before I could see where he spit. While all of this sounds scary to a driver like myself who tends to follow the rules, nothing topped what I saw this past weekend. There she was, the Doggie
part of the effort to alleviate poverty and homelessness in Kitsap County. In September 2013, the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners approved implementation of a onetenth of one percent local sales tax to augment state funding of mental health and chemical dependency programs and services, and for therapeutic court programs and services. The tax amounts to one penny for every $10 of purchases. Washington state legislators approved a bill allowing counties to raise local sales tax for this purpose in 2005. We want to publicly thank the volunteer members of our citizen advisory and strategic planning
groups who contributed countless hours to help us get funding out to organizations that provide local behavioral health services to Kitsap citizens. Since October 2013, the mental health, chemical dependency, and Therapeutic Court Services Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), established at the same time we approved the new tax, has assisted in obtaining public input through creation of a community survey. The group will provide program oversight to ensure a responsible funding process and support for funding allocation recommendations. Concurrently, the Behavioral Health Strategic Planning Team was also
Mommy, brushing her dog’s teeth while she drove down the street. Now, I’ve seen people drive with dogs in their laps plenty of times, but this was something I’d never Leslie Kelly seen before … or never even thought about before. Maybe they were in a hurry to get to doggy daycare and didn’t have time to take care of teeth-brushing
before leaving home. In all seriousness, driving is something that needs full attention. One glance down, or away, or taking your eyes off the road for even a minute can be a life or death decision. It could lead to smashing into another vehicle, running over a deer or a dog, or even a child who comes barreling out into the road. The risk is not worth it. Pay attention to driving while behind the wheel. The rest of all that stuff can wait. -Leslie Kelly, editor
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established. Made up of subject matter experts, this team researches existing local data for behavioral health service needs, available capacities and gaps in service, and makes recommendations to the CAC for funding. Together, these two groups adopted the Kitsap County Behavioral Health Strategic Plan in February 2014. Examples of local gaps in services identified in the Behavioral Health Strategic Plan eligible for funding include: • School-based mental health and substance-use prevention education for students to include intervention, assessment, referral and treatment support Professional development for educators, youth development and community agencies on youth mental health and substance abuse issues, concerns and supportive intervention strategies. • Suicide prevention, screening and referral options in schools and the community: • Crisis intervention training for all first responders countywide to respond to calls where mental illness or substance use may be a factor • Crisis triage/respite
and/or drop-off center alternatives for individuals with behavioral health needs not eligible for acute hospital or evaluation and treatment services but who may need short-term, 24-hour services, including assessment and referral Use of evidence and research-based programs found to decrease depression, suicidal behavior and substance abuse among juvenile justice involved youth Another major task of the Citizens Advisory Committee was to develop and release a request for proposals (RFP) for funding the gaps in mental health and chemical dependency programs and services, and operation or delivery of therapeutic court programs or services. The RFP was released Feb. 20, with a deadline for proposal on April 18. Approximately $3 million will be awarded to projects or program services delivered between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. Available funding through the one-tenth of one percent sales tax provides the means to support a strong, county-wide infrastructure for behavioral health treatment programs and services
to benefit Kitsap County youth and adults impacted by chemical dependency and mental illness, as well as our families, schools, workplaces, businesses and communities. We look forward to putting available funds to use to help solve these important issues in our communities. Charlotte Garrido, Robert Gelder, Linda Streissguth To read the Kitsap County Behavioral Health Strategic Plan, go to www.kitsapgov. com/hs/mhsa/8reports. htm. All Mental Health, Chemical Dependency and Therapeutic Courts Citizens Advisory Board advisory committee meeting notes and agendas, the Ordinance and fact sheets, are posted at www.kitsapgov.com/hs/ mhsa/newmhsaboard. htm. To receive electronic notifications of updates related to the Mental Health, Chemical Dependency and Therapeutic Courts Citizens Advisory Board, visit www.kitsapgov.com.
LIGHTS AND SIRENS Woman chases down driver who hit her
Sister uses disabled sister’s ID for DUI
On April 24, a Kitsap County Sheriff ’s deputy stopped a woman driving a Honda at a high rate of speed through Silverdale after he found her tailing another car. When stopped, the woman pointed to a man across from her in the parking lot and told the deputy that “he just hit me and ran on me,” states a KCSO certificate of probable cause. The man, 21, would not release his name or give his license to the deputy. He repeatedly told the deputy, “I’m going to Shari’s” when asked for his license. The Bremerton man was arrested for obstructing the hitand-run investigation. He was searched and found to have $359 cash in his sock, a knife, a scale, plastic baggies and a substance that later tested as heroin. He was booked on a $35,000 bail.
A Seattle woman arrested in Bremerton for a DUI used her sister’s name for booking. When a friend called to ask about her name being on the Kitsap County Jail website, the disabled sister—who is unable to drive—called authorities. When asked why she used her sister’s ID, Rolanda Ulrich said she became scared when she got pulled over while driving. Ulrich said she was driving to the hospital when she was pulled over and did not have an ID on her. Ulrich’s sister had left her ID in the car, so Ulrich used it. On top of DUI charges, Ulrich was charged with identity theft and forgery.
Perpetual thief admits stealing to police
A 35-year-old woman admitted to frequently stealing after she was arrested at Sportsman’s Warehouse on
April 27. Authorities were called to the Silverdale store after the woman selected two memory cards and concealed them and tried leaving without paying. According to a Kitsap County Sheriff ’s Office charging document, the arresting deputy was familiar with the woman’s past thefts and warrants. She admitted to the deputy she steals items to sell on eBay. She also admitted she “sometimes will steal merchandise and then returns it to the store without a purchase receipt.” In turn, she sells the gift cards. Due to her quick ability to provide rates, the deputy suspected she was familiar with the process. The woman was banned from all Sportsman’s Warehouse properties for life and was transferred to Kitsap County Jail for trafficking in stolen property and theft, third degree.