Community Service Spotlight
by Britta Johnson and Andrew Hovenden
Across our nation, thousands of communities and millions of individuals are daily impacted by mental health and substance use disorder needs — needs that have significantly increased in complexity and demand over the last five years. In Whatcom County, nearly 25,000 residents struggle to access vital behavioral health treatment services.
Mental health recovery is possible, and it starts with seeking help. That’s where we come in. At Lake Whatcom Residential & Treatment Center (LWC), we are on the frontlines of providing behavioral health services and treatment guided by our vision that recovery is a reality for everyone, everywhere. It’s who we are. It’s what we do. Supporting recovery, empowering growth.
Established in 1968, LWC has been providing services aimed at helping our community grow and thrive. Today, LWC is a DSHS (Department of Social and Health Services) and DOH (Department of Health) licensed not-for-profit organization providing integrated outpatient mental health and co-occurring substance use services that address whole-health needs in person-centered ways.
With a specialization in serving adults with serious mental illness (SMI), our agency provides an expansive array of integrated care, treatment, and services to individuals in Whatcom County and surrounding communities. Understanding SMI means not just meeting individuals’ needs, but also supporting people in embracing their personal ability to achieve their goals throughout their recovery journey. This is the foundation of care that individuals receive at LWC.
Our Mental Health Crisis
Mental illnesses are diagnosed disorders that affect a person’s thinking, mood, and/or behavior. The National Institute on Mental Health has identified that nearly one-in-five adults live with a mental illness. The term “SMI” refers to a mental illness that significantly interferes with a person’s life, ability to function, and ability to engage in major life activities, such as going to work or interacting with family or friends.
Despite common misperceptions, having a mental health illness is not a choice, a weakness, a character flaw, or something that just “passes” or can be “snapped out of” with willpower. While we still do not know all the specific causes of mental illness, many factors can impact the occurrence of a mental illness including: family history, brain chemistry, trauma, one’s surrounding environment, and social parameters.
Recent monitoring of mental health and substance use data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) resulted in a declaration that the United States is in a mental health crisis. In stark contrast to the increased prevalence of mental health and substance use problems, our mental health and SMI crisis is also a crisis of care. While we have effective treatment options available, less than half of individuals with mental illnesses are getting care.
Barriers in accessing care are prominent issues for many individuals in Whatcom County. Factors such as health insurance (such as being uninsured or underinsured), economic hardships, and limited availability of services or providers due to workforce capacity challenges, are just some of these.
What LWC Is Doing
As mental health is an important part of overall health and wellbeing, it is vital that we understand and embrace the fact that treatment for mental illness is effective and support people in accessing care. Asking for help is one of the most powerful things an individual can do, and from that emerges strength, hope, and recovery.
At LWC, we are committed to connecting people to comprehensive, high-quality behavioral health care as well as providing essential community services throughout Whatcom County. Since our original start of providing residential care at the Agate Heights facility, LWC has since grown exponentially to include our main Orchard office and four residential treatment facilities. LWC’s primary outpatient behavioral health case management programs include:
- Community Case Management (CCM): Once a month on average individualized case management support to reach treatment goals.
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): Twice a week on average home and community-based outreach case management treatment program.
- Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT): Evidence-based outpatient behavioral health treatment with on-average three times a week or more outreach and case management meetings from a multidisciplinary team including RNs, a dedicated therapist, peer support, a Substance Use Professional, and other specialties. PACT also operates a temporary shelter for unhoused clients.
- Employment Services Program: Case management services that assist individuals in determining employability, employment exploration and preparation, job placement, job retention, and educational needs.
Additional non-direct case management support services are also offered at LWC to address a wide range of social needs.
- Intakes: Provides initial behavioral health clinical assessments upon entering services, including diagnosis.
- Holistic Engagement through Allied Recovery & Treatment (HEART): Offers emergent and non-emergent recovery support outreach services designed to increase access to care and connections to needed communitybased services.
- Primary Care Provider (PCP) Services: Provides general medical care to help clients manage all aspects of their health.
- Independent Living: Provides safe and affordable housing options throughout our eight apartment complexes operated by LWC. LWC currently houses 174 clients.
- Representative Payee Services: Offers financial management and support services for individuals who are struggling managing their own benefits and are receiving Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income.
- Library Embedded Behavioral Health Support Services: LWC has staff at Whatcom County’s Library downtown Bellingham location during open hours to assist patrons looking for resources and access to care.
- Mental Health Court Support: LWC assists over 70 individuals a year through the multiphase mental health court process.
LWC has expanded to now include four residential programs, each with their own unique focus and population being served:
- Agate Heights Assisted Living: A 67-bed facility specializing in clients who wish to successfully transition into the community as well as those who require long-term care. This facility works to build the skills and habits that are necessary to living independently such as basic home repairs and being successful with the activities of daily living.
- Baker Creek Co-Occurring Residential Treatment Facility: An innovative 24-bed residential treatment option for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use diagnoses. Treatment includes a behavioral health and substance use curriculum as well as multiple daily meetings and medication management.
- Maplewood Enhanced Services Facility: Our newest addition to our residential programs, Maplewood is a 16-bed facility which specializes in serving individuals transitioning out of hospital, inpatient or institutional settings who otherwise would have no other placement options due to experiencing complex behavioral, medical, substance use and/or mental health needs.
- Alabama Assisted Living: Specializing in age-related cognitive and behavioral health services as well as long-term care. Alabama can serve up to 12 clients at a time.
LWC strives to provide an effective, innovative, and integrated model of care approach to mental health and substance use treatment services. Despite the hurdles and challenges most agencies have faced in recent years, we have moved our agency forward by turning obstacles into opportunities and challenges into meaningful change. Over the last year, LWC has shown results to prove that when people have access to treatment, powerful change and recovery occurs.
Increasing access to care: 38 percent increase in our number of clients to now over 700 people currently enrolled in LWC treatment services.
Meeting people where they are: 78 percent of all outpatient case management services were outreaches provided to individuals at their home or other locations in the community.
Reducing emergency department/hospital admissions and criminal justice system involvement: 56 percent of HEART emergent outreach support services provided in 2024 directly resulted in jail, arrest, or hospital/ED Diversion. Overall, the agency saw a 43 percent decrease in the number of LWC clients who had inpatient or institutional placements.
Alleviating behavioral health workforce shortages: LWC increased our clinical staff by 15 percent with 14 new positions, to include a new 10-person IOP team.
Reducing health disparities: Provided services targeted at addressing unmet social needs that aff ect health (housing status, income, insurance status, employment status, transportation).
Improving overall mental health: Based on client surveys, 60 percent of individuals reported having no psychological distress from their symptoms after only six months of receiving services.
Looking Forward
LWC is a member of the Washington State Council for Behavioral Health and The National Council for Mental Wellbeing. We are also excited to be a nationally designated Certifi ed Community Behavioral Clinic (CCBHC) grantee through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). CCBHCs are specially designated clinics that provide a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use services to anyone who walks through the door, regardless of their diagnosis and insurance status. As Washington state looks at adopting the CCBHC model statewide, we here at LWC truly believe this could remove significant barriers to treatment and increase access to care.
Mental health is not a destination, it’s a journey — a journey of self-discovery and growth. At LWC, we embrace this journey and work to help our community grow stronger and thrive together.
For more information about LWC or our services, visit www.lwrtc.org or call 360-676-6000.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or substance use needs, help is available: FindTreatment.gov. In crisis? Call or text “988” Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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This article was written as a collaborative effort by Programs Director Britta Johnson and Outpatient Program Manager Andrew Hovenden.
