By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
Tulalip’s Behavioral Health Department recently split into two divisions in preparation for a statewide merge between Washington State care providers and Washington behavioral health and recovery departments. The upcoming merge will join Behavioral Health and Recovery Departments with local clinics and will be more convenient for patients, as well as a step towards a new integrated health model system.
Previously the Behavioral Health Department in Tulalip oversaw nine separate programs. The programs are now split into two separate divisions, Behavioral Health and Recovery and the new Family Advocacy division.
Family Advocacy consists of the following programs: beda?chelh, Family Haven, Child Advocacy, Legacy of Healing, as well as the Tulalip Safe House. The Behavioral Health and Recovery division consists of the Healing Lodge, Chemical Dependency & Problem Gambling, as well as Adult and Youth Wellness.
Carrie Jones, Family Advocacy Director, believes that division between the departments is a move in the right direction. She notes that the new division has an emphasis on the wellness of families within the community while the Behavioral Health and Recovery division focuses on the well being of an individual.
Carrie explains the reason behind the division, “Currently the State has merged their chemical dependency and their mental health programs and by the year 2020 [the State is] looking at more of an integrated health model where they’re merging those areas with health clinics. We’re getting ahead by splitting up the two divisions, and later on down the road the tribe will be merging Behavioral Health and Recovery with the Clinic. The integrated health model, when you think about treating the mind, body and spirit, it makes sense to have behavioral health and recovery and the health clinic under one umbrella.”
For further details about Family Advocacy contact Carrie Jones at (360) 716-4320.
For further details about Behavioral Health and Recovery contact (360) 716-4400.