“Repurposing unused space that was originally intended for incarcerating youth & converting it for dual diagnosis & substance abuse treatments is addressing a critical need in our county.”
-Snohomish County Council Vice Chair Megan Dunn
The North Sound Behavioral Health Facility (NSBHF) was completed in the summer of 2021 at the underutilized Denney Juvenile Justice Center in Everett, WA. The new facility will help the county address challenges related to the opioid epidemic. The NSBHF has two units totaling 32 beds designed to serve adults struggling with behavioral health issues. One 16 bed unit focuses on adults with a primary addiction to opioids. The other 16 bed unit is designed to treat adults with addiction issues and mental health needs. The facility is run by a state licensed social service provider.
Previously, individuals eligible for treatment were forced to leave Snohomish County for care, often going to Eastern Washington facilities, making it difficult for family engagement and education. The only local treatment options were emergency rooms or jail.
Interior design elements include Scraplight pendants by Graypants Lighting —handcrafted from recycled cardboard.
The Denney Juvenile Justice Center was built in the 1990s when county leaders projected that the number of young people in custody would grow with the county’s overall population. However, reforms in the juvenile justice system have since channeled more kids into alternative programs instead of putting them behind bars. With an original capacity for 130 youth offenders the population has dipped as low as the single digits in recent years.
The North Sound Behavioral Health Facility (NSBHF) with expansion is shown in the right portion of the above rendering.
“This new facility will not only keep us safer but also help us save money by getting people the help they need before they enter the criminal justice system.”
-Snohomish County Councilmember Nate Nehring
Floorplans illustrating Option A
KMD conducted a Feasibility Study to examine two underutilized areas of the DJJC campus for possible use as a 32 bed treatment center. Option A was selected—the renovation of two residential pods to house the clinical areas of the treatment center plus new construction for clinical support, facility support services and administrative functions. Following the study, KMD was contracted to complete programming, planning, design and construction administration for the new facility.
During early schematic design the decision was made to use the GC/CM process to deliver the project due to the complexity involved with the addition and remodel work. BN Builders was selected as the GC/CM.
The Denney project has many stakeholders and partners, including Snohomish County Superior Court, Snohomish County Department of Facilities and Fleet, Snohomish County Human Services, North Sound Behavioral Health Organization, and Pioneer Human Services, who are operating the new facility.
Exterior rendering of patient drop-off and clinical support expansion.
In 2019 and into early 2020, the designers completed most of their work, and the first bid packages were meant to be distributed in early March, right as the first wave of COVID-19 hit. The project team quickly transitioned from a traditional in-person bid opening to remote access utilizing Building Connected software with virtual bid openings on Zoom and MS Teams. Construction began on May 1st, 2020, with substantial completion in April 2021.
Take a Snohomish County conducted virtual tour of the new facility.