EVERETT, Wash., Jan. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For Northwest Washington residents experiencing mental health needs that require immediate, in-person help, Compass Health has opened a behavioral health crisis triage facility at its Marc Healing Center in Snohomish County.
Compass Health’s mental health crisis center, located at 3322 Broadway Avenue in Everett, offers 24/7 walk-in and behavioral health emergency stabilization care. Whether someone needs a few hours or several days of services, the clinical team meets each person where they are and works closely with them to determine the right next steps in their treatment. Services are available to adults age 18 and older, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
How community members can access care:
- Through 9-1-1 or area first responders
- By calling 9-8-8
- By calling the crisis triage center at 425-201-4420
- By walking in directly at 3322 Broadway Ave., Everett, WA
- By bringing in a loved one who needs urgent care
The crisis triage center is designed to support community members during moments of intense emotional distress or substance-related challenges, including experiences related to anxiety, depression, thoughts of self-harm or suicide, and other complex mental health needs. While it is not a detox facility, it is equipped to provide care and medication management for individuals going through mild to moderate withdrawal.
“Compass Health’s crisis triage center is the final piece of a carefully crafted puzzle to bring together the intensive services our communities need most under one roof,” said Tom Sebastian, CEO of Compass Health. “This resource is incredibly important – for the individuals we serve and the partners who respond alongside us – because now there is a dedicated place for people to go in their most vulnerable moments. That changes lives.”
The crisis triage center is located on the fourth floor of the Marc Healing Center, one level above the 16-bed Evaluation and Treatment Unit (E&T). While both programs support individuals experiencing acute behavioral health issues, they serve different needs. The crisis triage center treats individuals who voluntarily seek care, focusing on immediate assessment, short-term stabilization, and rapid connection to other ongoing services, often resolving issues without the need for inpatient admission. The E&T provides inpatient psychiatric treatment for individuals who require a higher level of care and structured, 24-hour clinical support.
The crisis triage center also serves as an important resource for law enforcement and other emergency responders dispatched to help individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Rather than transporting people to emergency rooms or jail, first responders now can drive into a purpose-built drop-off bay that offers privacy and safety, and allows for direct handoffs to the center’s clinical staff. Compass Health can complete the crisis intake process in five minutes or less, enabling first responders to get back out into the community and streamlining access to care for community members.
This approach reduces strain on emergency systems and ensures that people in crisis are connected to the right level of support from the start, strengthening coordination and improving outcomes across the entire response network.
“Under Mayor Franklin’s leadership, Everett is taking a balanced approach to public safety that is centered around accountability, compassion and community well-being, and services like Compass Health’s new crisis triage unit at the Marc Healing Center are a critical part of that work,” said Everett Chief of Police Robert Goetz. “This triage unit will make a real difference for people in crisis throughout our community, allowing first responders to help connect those in need with the right care, more quickly.”
Once an individual arrives at the crisis triage center, Compass Health’s clinical teams take a whole-person approach to stabilization. Each client receives a comprehensive assessment to determine immediate needs, followed by support from a multidisciplinary team that may include mental health professionals, psychiatric nurse practitioners, nurses, clinicians, and peer counselors. When individuals are stabilized and ready to be discharged, the Compass Health team makes every effort to connect them with ongoing recovery-focused programs, and provide logistical help for transportation and other supports, if needed.
“When clients are with us at the crisis triage center, they receive services that are tailored to their recovery,” said Katie Gilligan, MD, chief medical officer at Compass Health. “We work closely with each person to understand what will help them take the next step, whether that’s transitioning to a higher level of care, engaging in substance use disorder treatment, or getting connected to ongoing behavioral health services in the community. And the beauty of the Marc Healing Center is that many of these resources are located in the same building or nearby, making it easier for clients to stay engaged.”
The crisis triage center joins several programs operating within the Marc Healing Center, including the Adult Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), Expanded Community Services (ECS), and the Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT), as well as the E&T. There is also an on-site pharmacy run by Genoa Healthcare. Together, these programs create a seamless continuum under one roof, giving clients access to the right level of care at the right time. With the triage center now open, the Marc Healing Center is fully operational as a regional hub for intensive behavioral health services.
This is Compass Health’s second mental health crisis triage center in Northwest Washington. The organization also operates the 16-bed Whatcom County Triage Center, housed in the Anne Deacon Center for Hope in Bellingham, which has served as a critical resource for crisis response since its opening in 2021. The center typically sees an average length of stay of three to five days, with stays ranging from a few hours to two weeks. Modeled on the same successful approach, the crisis triage center at the Marc Healing Center will deliver timely, community-based behavioral health care to Snohomish County.
“The vision behind the Marc Healing Center was to create a place where community members can find safety, stability, and a clear path forward,” added Sebastian. “Seeing that vision become a reality is an incredible milestone for our organization, our community, and our region.”
The Marc Healing Center – phase two of Compass Health’s Broadway Campus Redevelopment Project – joins Andy’s Place, phase one, an 82-unit supportive housing facility coupled with support services for people with chronic behavioral health challenges. The final phase of the redevelopment project, now in early planning, is expected to include additional behavioral health services, a primary care clinic, residential units, and administrative offices.
For more information about the Marc Healing Center and Compass Health’s Broadway Campus Redevelopment, visit www.compasshealth.org/broadwayredevelopment.
About Compass Health:
Compass Health is Northwest Washington’s behavioral healthcare leader. A community-based healthcare agency, Compass Health integrates behavioral health and medical care services to form a key section of the community safety net and serve clients and others in need of care and support. From comprehensive mental health treatment to crisis prevention and intervention, supportive housing, children’s services, community education and much more, the non-profit organization serves people of all ages throughout Snohomish, Skagit, Island, San Juan, and Whatcom counties.
Media Contacts:
McKenzie Morgan
Firmani + Associates Inc.
[email protected]
(702) 580-8687
Sarah Forster
Compass Health
[email protected]
(306) 728-8288
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