With the opening of three new sites in Snohomish County, Sunrise Services Inc. will be able to provide more than 1,600 low-income people in Snohomish County with mental health services. The new offices are in Mountlake Terrace, Stanwood and Everett. The Everett office, at 1718 Broadway, is Sunrise’s third in the city.
All three new offices have “open access” hours, allowing people to simply drop by and “we can set them up make an appointment right away,” said Holly Morgan, director of community mental health services. “People can come in, fill out some forms and then move on to their services.”
That shortens the steps to getting help. Typically, Medicaid patients had to call 211, the county’s social service hotline, to get hooked up with mental health services through Medicaid.
The expansion of services comes through the federal health care law known as Obamacare. The law calls for access to mental health services “without arbitrary restrictions on the services you can receive,” said Cammy Hart-Anderson, a manager in the county’s Human Services department.
With the federal law expanding Medicaid eligibility to behavioral health services, “we anticipate many more people accessing those services,” Hart-Anderson said.
Federal money to pay for expanded services is sent to the state, which then allocates it through regional mental health planning organizations. The services provided are for those with serious mental illness, she said.
Services are also provided for patients with drug or alcohol problems in addition to mental illness.
The three Sunrise offices in Everett can treat up to 1,065 patients. About 150 patients can be treated in the Stanwood office and Mountlake Terrace can treat up to 450 patients, Morgan said.
Sunrise, which began by providing home care services in Snohomish County, added mental health programs in 2007. Sunrise opened its first building in Everett in 2009. It added a second Everett office, also on Broadway, in 2014.
The opening of the three new Sunrise offices increases the likelihood of somebody being able to access services when they decide they need those services, instead of being forced to wait up to six weeks, Hart-Anderson said.
“Will it fully meet all the needs?” she asked. “No, but it’s a step in the right direction.”
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.
Sunrise locations
Sunrise Services Inc. is offering quick access to Medicaid patients who need mental health services at three of its offices. For information and help call 425-212-4200 asked to be transferred to the nearest office.
Mountlake Terrace
6505 218th St. SW, Suite 6
Drop-in hours: Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Stanwood
9527 271st St. NW
Drop-in hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Everett
1718 Broadway
Drop-in hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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