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Wednesday?s ribbon-cutting celebrated the opening of a youth transitional care facility, the first of its kind in Washington and among the first nationwide.
The Lake Burien Transitional Care Facility opened Wednesday, offering a fitting care setting for teens with developmental disabilities and complex care needs. It?s the first such facility in Washington, and it's among the first of its kind nationwide. It?s been sorely needed.
For parents and caretakers of teens with developmental disabilities like autism spectrum disorder, there are very few options when behavioral problems spiral to the point of crisis. Absent an alternative, families bring their child to the hospital where they might stay for weeks. But hospitals are meant for acute care, and there is no cure for developmental disabilities. Hospitals are not the right place for these kids to get better.
The Lake Burien Transitional Care Facility is the right place. Young patients will come to live at the facility for shorter terms, a year at most, and they?ll benefit from individualized care that will put them back on a path towards independence. The facility offers a library, communal spaces, a music room, and exercise spaces where kids can be kids ? not to mention expert clinical staffing.
Wednesday?s grand opening was the fruit of a partnership between the state departments of Social and Health Services and Children, Youth and Families, as well as Multicare and Seattle Children?s Hospital. Both hospital systems had seen kids languish over long stays, and both state agencies had served young multi-diagnosis patients with care challenges. Now, these youth have a place to go.
?This is just part and parcel of this whole new innovative approach we?re taking to help people with their challenges,? said Inslee. ?This really is a new day of not only building capacity, but also new ways to deliver services.?
Gov. Jay Inslee, state Department of Commerce Director Mike Fong, and the leadership of the Quinault Indian Nation convened Tuesday to announce a significant investment from the Climate Commitment Act towards Tribal climate resiliency.
This week, the Climate Commitment Act chipped in $52 million to help Tribal nations across Washington confront climate change. In many ways, Tribal nations are vulnerable to the consequences of rising temperatures and seas. The awards announced Tuesday went to 32 of the 33 Tribes within the state in support of their self-directed initiatives.
Out in coastal Taholah, the Quinault Indian Nation is on the front lines of climate change. A recent federal report predicted that seas will rise nearly a foot by 2050. Another report by the Washington Coastal Resilience Project predicted 2.6 feet of rise by 2100. The Quinault are beginning a difficult process to relocate their people and infrastructure to higher ground, away from the dangerous floods that have become more frequent. They received more than $12 million Tuesday to support their ambitious but necessary plan.
?This initiative protects the most important resource we have. That?s our Tribal members themselves. We?re protecting them from the rising tide, and protecting them from all of these things affecting our resources from our fish, to elk, to bears, to deer, to our razor clams,? said Quinault Indian Nation president Guy Capoeman. ?We are ensuring that they have the opportunity to sustain their lives in the same way our ancestors sustained their lives.?
Elsewhere, the Makah Indian Tribe is building a solar-powered warming center with battery backup as a refuge from winter emergencies. The Skokomish Indian Tribe is weatherizing homes. The Port Gamble S?Klallam Tribe is reevaluating emergency evacuation routes, and the Lummi Nation is restoring salmon habitat.
?The Quinault are moving their people to higher ground, and they?re standing on higher ground morally,? said Gov. Jay Inslee. ?We stand on higher ground when we protect our children from the ravages of climate change. We stand on higher ground when we fight against pollution. The Climate Commitment Act is helping us all get to higher ground, so to speak.?
For fifteen consecutive years, Washington?s gray wolf population has remained on the rise. First listed as endangered in 1974 after decades of poaching and killing, the species has rebounded under these protections. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife counted 44 more wolves this year than last, tallying 260 wolves across 42 packs.
On Friday, the state Fish and Wildlife Commission chose not to downlist gray wolves, instead upholding their designation as ?endangered?. ?Earlier this year, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife recommended downlisting their designation to ?sensitive,? but the commission retained the stricter protections that have allowed the species to reestablish itself.
Washington uses four conservation categories: endangered, threatened, sensitive, and other. Endangered species face immediate peril of extinction through nearly all of its range. Threatened species are likely to become endangered without intervention. Sensitive species are vulnerable and declining. Species with any of these four designations are protected to some degree, with escalated protections to match an escalated status.
In January, Gov. Jay Inslee directed WDFW to begin rulemaking to clarify when wolves can be legally removed after livestock conflicts. That process is ongoing.
Feds award $1.5 billion towards I-5 Bridge Replacement
Last Friday, Washington state?s Congressional delegation announced that the federal government had granted an award of $1.5 billion to help cover the $6 billion cost of replacing the I-5 bridge between Portland, Ore. and Vancouver, Wash.
?This is a monumental win for Southwest Washington ? now, with the biggest federal transportation award in Washington state history, replacing the I-5 Bridge is finally going to be a reality,? said Sen. Patty Murray.
Washington is a top state for quality of life
In a new study published this week by CNBC, Washington was ranked the fifth-best state for quality of life in the nation. The state earned high marks for inclusivity, worker protections, worker pay, paid leave policies, environment, air quality, water quality, and more.
Washington products are world-class: a new state program will get the word out
Washington state produces some of the world?s finest apples, wine, seafood, onions, beef, cherries, hops, and more. The state Department of Agriculture is forming a new program to label local products as ?Made in Washington? and to promote them within and outside the state.
State energy expert affirms that WA can maintain reliability during transition to 100% clean energy
Experts predict Washington's demand for electricity will double as the state grows, as temperatures become more extreme, as manufacturing and data centers expand, and as more people and businesses switch from fossil fuels to clean energy.
The state?s leading energy expert from the Department of Commerce describes how a stronger focus on energy efficiency and improvements to siting and building clean energy projects and transmission capacity are among the actions that will ?keep the lights on? and reduce the risk of outages as we wind down our use of fossil fuels.
New ?Be Well WA? campaign offers simple actions for health, happiness and community
The state Department of Health this week launched ?Be Well WA,? a new campaign to help Washingtonians improve their wellness and health. The campaign offers ideas big and small that contribute to happier, healthier lifestyles. DOH?s science-based advice emphasizes four key pillars: movement, emotional well-being, nourishment and social connection. Learn more at bewellwa.org.
Summer is sizzling; a heat pump could help you stay cool and comfortable
With summer in full swing, it might be the perfect time to upgrade your home?s cooling system. Heat pumps, despite the name, can both cool and heat your home for year-round comfort. They also use much less electricity than traditional air conditioners. Rebates, tax credits, and other programs are reducing costs dramatically. Contact your local utility or read Axios? recent summary of helpful programs for more information.
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