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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Boise, Idaho Falls and CdA vie for $1.5M mental health crisis center

Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says a decision about where to build a $1.5 million state-funded behavioral-health crisis center will likely be within a week. Spokeswoman Niki Forbing-Orr tells the Post Register (http://www.postregister.com) that a committee is reviewing proposals from three cities. Idaho Falls in eastern Idaho, Boise in southwestern Idaho, and Coeur d'Alene in northern Idaho are vying for the center that would serve as a safety net to treat at-risk mentally ill people whose symptoms often land them in hospitals or jail. Health and Welfare requested from state lawmakers $600,000 in startup money and $4.56 million to operate three crisis centers. Lawmakers earlier this year approved the $600,000 grant, but they reduced operations funding to $1.52 million, enough for only one crisis center.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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