O’Ban proposal bridges mental health gap

There's a new proposal in Olympia to help deal with some of the prolific offenders on our streets.

It’s a plan to help mentally ill homeless people from falling through the gaps in the system.

Many of those who are homeless are also mentally ill, but not sick enough to qualify for long-term involuntary confinement.

Vancouver mother Jerri Clark says her son Calvin was like that.

“So, we have two extremes, either you can voluntarily seek the help that you need or you are so dangerous to society that we are going to force you into our model of care. We don’t have anything in the middle,” he said.

Finally, Calvin died by suicide last March.

“I can’t believe every morning when I wake up, my son is no longer on this planet because our system of care that is nonsense.”

State Sen. Steve O’Ban has written Senate Bill 6109, a new pilot program for those who can’t recognize they need help.

“For those with a history of addiction and mental illness the court will appoint a special guardian to make sure that they get the care that they need. The act also provides dedicated housing and other services.”

At the bill’s first hearing today, representatives of first responders spoke in support.

Kim Hendrickson, who works with first responders for the City of Poulsbo, said “I am strongly in support of this bill not because it’s a panacea, not because it’s going to close the gap but, as has been said before, because at least it’s a start.”

We first met Jerri Clark two years ago at a new mental health facility in Burien. Her son was still alive then. Now she’s fighting to help others. “This bill is a baby step in the right direction, but it’s something.”

If it passes, the program will be tried in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties and then be evaluated to see if it should be expanded statewide.

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