Columbia Wellness ending local crisis services

Columbia Wellness will be closing the Crisis Support Unit in Hoquiam.

The Hoquiam Police Department forwarded an announcement from Grays Harbor County Crisis Services onto the public, announcing that crisis services from Columbia Wellness will end December 12.

According to the announcement, Columbia Wellness said that despite serving hundreds in Grays Harbor since May of 2016, when the facility began providing access to mental health crisis services, the number served does not support the costs to sustain the operation.

“The threat of sustainability has limited the capability of Columbia Wellness to hire and replace the staff accepting other employment. As we continue to look for ways to make the Crisis Support Unit viable, staffing levels will drop below a safety threshold that will not allow Columbia Wellness to continue to provide crisis services as of December 12th, 2019.”

Columbia Wellness says that Grays Harbor County officials, Great Rivers Behavioral Health Organization and Columbia Wellness have been planning and working on solutions to sustain the Crisis Support Unit.

Great Rivers Behavioral Health Organization, Crisis Support Unit staff and Grays Harbor County officials have been notified of these sustainability issues and operational plans moving forward.