Safety improvements will be coming to the upper floors of Broadway Plaza in downtown Everett.
As a rule, MyEverettNews.com does not report on suicide.
Unless the act by the person in crisis directly involves the public at large we aren’t likely to mention it.
On Sunday evening a person apparently jumped from the 9th floor of Broadway Plaza in downtown Everett. It’s the second such time that has happened in the past few years.
MyEverettNews.com reached out to Ashley Lommers-Johnson, executive director of Everett Housing Authority who manages the building to ask about both physical improvements they may make to discourage this type of attempt as well as what they offer to people living at Broadway Plaza in the form of mental health support. Here is the response by Email…
We are making some changes to windows in common areas, and we are working with our insurance provider and the fire department about possibilities for the residential units, but we will definitely make some changes to increase safety and prevent intentional efforts to harm. We will be discussing options with residents once we have identified potential solutions.
Other changes that have been in the works is a temporary increase in the support services staff (two years) to address some of the needs that have arisen due to a change in the population in recent years. We have one full-time service coordinator in the building as well as a unit that provides services to elderly residents who have mental health issues.
Generally, EHA serves residents who can live independently without a need for intensive support services. However, it is very difficult to make that judgment that someone can live independently at the time of admission to housing. We do have partnerships with other housing providers who have access to support services funding and whose mission it is to provide supportive housing.
One effort currently under way to support other housing providers is a recently issued Request for Proposals for housing providers to create supportive housing for people with disabilities or other needs that can be addressed on site. We are hoping to increase the availability of this kind of housing by at least 100 units in Everett.
Lommers-Johnson says they are also meeting with residents and keeping a close eye on those whom they know have talked about harming themselves before.
The Snohomish County NAMI or National Alliance on Mental Illness has several resources for those who may need help personally or for a family member.
Also here’s a link to a brochure to a number of other resources in Everett and Snohomish County.
June 14, 2016
Everett