Compass Health announces $14 Million capital campaign to build state-of-the-art regional behavioral health facility

||| FROM CONNOR FLYNN for COMPASS HEALTH |||

EVERETT, Wash., Oct. 13, 2022– Compass Health is building the future of behavioral health care in the region and community members have an integral role to play. Today, the non-profit organization publicly launched It’s Time: The Campaign for Compass Health, a $14 million capital campaign to fund a state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the intensive mental health needs of Northwest Washington’s most vulnerable populations. 

Compass Health’s first-ever capital campaign has already raised over $10 million from lead funders, more than 70 percent of the campaign’s goal. To date, the organization has received $3 million from the Sunderland Foundation, $2 million in Community Project Funding championed by U.S. Representative Rick Larsen, $1 million from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, $1 million from The Norcliffe Foundation, and $600,000 from Premera Blue Cross, along with more than 30 significant private gifts.  

“The champions of this project are community members who care about addressing some of the most urgent needs facing our region,” said Tom Sebastian, President & CEO of Compass Health. “We are grateful for the support we’ve received from philanthropic organizations, lawmakers, business and community leaders and dedicated neighbors who wholeheartedly believe in our mission and vision for the Broadway Campus Redevelopment project.” 

Tom Kozaczynski, who leads the capital campaign as Compass Health’s Chief Advancement Officer, said that the purpose of the facility has resonated deeply with community members as it presents a one-of-a-kind opportunity to be a part of the solution to addressing the increasing mental health needs across the region. The campaign focuses on taking action, advocating:   

• It’s time to build the future of behavioral health with architecture, design and function that reflect the sophistication and clinical excellence of the world-class care delivered here.  
• It’s time to invest in solutions to our region’s most visible and pressing needs by preventing complex mental health conditions from escalating and diverting high-frequency use of emergency services.  
• It’s time to support recovery, hope and dignity through an environment purpose-built to empower community members with intensive behavioral health needs.  
• It’s time to create a magnet for mental health professionals with a workplace that attracts the team members needed to meet our region’s growing demand for care.   
• It’s time to act regionally with a state-of-the-art campus that will benefit community members, first responders, healthcare partners and more across Northwest Washington.  

“We appreciate every donor that has been involved in this campaign so far, as they have undoubtedly been instrumental in getting us to this point,” added Kozaczynski. “This is an ambitious project on every level, but through the continued support of individuals, businesses, and foundations across our community, we are confident we will reach our fundraising goal, and deliver this critical resource for the region.”  

The facility – the second of a three-phase campus redevelopment – will house evidence-based treatment programs and services for individuals with intensive mental health needs. For example, a 16-bed involuntary evaluation and treatment unit will allow providers to connect adults with behavioral health disorders to inpatient services in an acute setting with support available 24 hours a day. For adults with behavioral health disorders that require a lower intensity of care that is focused on long-term, consistent contact and outreach, providers can enroll patients in the outpatient program and services available, helping these individuals avoid emergency department or inpatient stays.  

To further alleviate demand for local resources, such as hospitals, law enforcement, and community responders, the facility will house a 16-bed voluntary crisis triage center to offer short-term support for those experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The center will enable law enforcement drop-offs, allowing first responders to bring individuals in crisis directly to the center for immediate care. Treating mental health crises in the triage center is also more cost-effective and supports better outcomes than emergency department or inpatient hospital visits, which are not intended or equipped to address these needs. 

“This facility will offer the compassionate, successful care delivery system that our community needs to address the mental health challenges that are weighing on us so heavily,” said Dr. Gregg Jantz, Founder of The Center – A Place of Hope, and contributor to It’s Time. “In my eyes, and in the eyes of many, Compass Health is the bridge of hope, and through this project, they are only strengthening and widening that bridge. This is such a timely and important project, and my wife and I are proud to support it. I encourage everyone to learn more about the ways in which this facility will benefit our community and do what they can to help it along, as the need for it grows greater each day.”  

Overall, the facility is projected to be complete in early 2025 at a cost of $64 million. In addition to the $14 million that the campaign seeks to raise, Compass Health has received significant investment from the State of Washington, including $21 million from competitive and direct appropriations. Philanthropic and public funding sources will help Compass Health leverage investment from the Federal New Markets Tax Credit program that will deliver an additional $10 to $12 million, and the project’s remaining balance will be secured through private financing sources.  

Compass Health anticipates the facility will have the capacity to serve an estimated 1,500 individuals through more than 30,000 points of service each year. Importantly, individuals will be able to remain in the community during treatment, allowing for family visits, care coordination, and more seamless transition to other services when ready for less-intensive care.  

“One of the most important aspects of Compass Health’s care delivery is that we focus on providing community-based treatment,” said Stacey Alles, Chief Operating Officer of Compass Health. “This allows us to provide help to clients where they are, and through this timely treatment, we can improve outcomes and the overall health of our communities. This new facility will enable residents to access immediate care for their needs, offering alternative options to hospitalizations, and ensuring the necessary access and support is maintained, as long as they need it.”   

Leaders at the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, one of the campaign’s lead funders, said that Compass Health’s ability to work alongside clients and community partners is important. 

“Our benefactor, Jack Murdock, believed strongly in the importance of investing in resources that support the mental health of individuals,” said Pauline Fong, program director at the Murdock Trust. “Organizations like Compass Health are doing vital work both in establishing resources but also by building partnerships with community organizations to provide comprehensive support for those in need.”  

Compass Health’s Broadway Campus Redevelopment project encompasses the entire 3300 block of Broadway in Everett and accommodates a broad range of behavioral health services. Its 81-unit permanent supportive housing facility, Andy’s Place, officially opened in May of 2021, and is now fully leased. 

“It is exciting to be at a point where we get to invite the community to be a part of this initiative, which will not only transform a block in downtown Everett but will transform behavioral health care in Northwest Washington,” added Sebastian.  

To learn more about the It’s Time Capital Campaign and to donate, visit www.compasshealth.org/itstime/. For more information about the entire Broadway Campus Redevelopment, visit www.compasshealth.org/broadwayredevelopment. 

About Compass Health 

Compass Health is Northwest Washington’s behavioral healthcare leader. A community-based healthcare agency, Compass Health integrates behavioral health and medical care services to form a key section of the community safety net and serve clients and others in need of care and support. From comprehensive mental health treatment to crisis prevention and intervention, supportive housing, children’s services, community education and much more, the non-profit organization serves people of all ages throughout Snohomish, Skagit, Island, San Juan, and Whatcom counties.  Learn more: www.compasshealth.org