An old helipad has been converted into a rooftop patio space where patients in the behavioral health inpatient unit can get outside. An old hospital helipad in Everett has been converted to a space where behavioral health patients can get fresh air.
It's a growing problem in Washington: kids with developmental disabilities and complex behaviors who are stuck in the hospital with no reason for being there. Usually, they end up in the hospital after a crisis or an incident. But once the child is medically cleared to leave, their parents or their group home won't come get them citing inadequate supports to manage the youth's needs. While the state searches for alternative placements, the child waits.