Behavioral Health Facilities Code Update

Kent City Council adopted the Behavioral Health Facilities ordinance on October 15, 2024! The ordinance will be effective on November 15, 2024. See the final ordinance here: Click here for final Ordinance No. 4498.

The City of Kent has been studying and considering adding behavioral health facility uses into the land use code to provide clarity on siting and permitting of these facilities. Behavioral health facilities provide a wide variety of services, including psychosocial rehabilitation, the development of skills to integrate back into the community, medication, substance use disorder treatment, individual and group therapy, peer counseling and other therapeutic services.

A lack of behavioral health facilities has put significant strain on the region's hospitals, jails, and emergency responders to provide mental health services. King County lost 1 of every 3 residential treatment beds in recent years. As of July 2022, people wait an average of 44 days for a mental health residential bed. If someone's in crisis today, they will be taking up a hospital bed, waiting in jail, or will need a full-time caretaker for at least a month and a half before having any access needed treatment.

There are many types of behavioral health facilities and the City has identified several that have garnered significant interest and need in our community. Staff are working to update code to include siting and permitting requirements for enhanced service facilities and intensive behavioral health treatment facilities. Staff are also reviewing changes to existing opioid treatment program locations and requirements. As part of this process, we have had many community conversations with various volunteer boards and human service providers within the City of Kent.