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STARS opens sobering triage and transition unit; county opioid funds support continuum of care
Summary
STARS Treatment and Recovery Services reported growing use of a new Sobering, Triage and Transition (STAT) program, including walk-up clients and expedited links to medication‑assisted treatment; county opioid settlement funds supported the launch and partnerships with city and county will expand bed capacity and services.
STARS Treatment and Recovery Services told regional leaders it is expanding low‑barrier care for people who are intoxicated or emerging from withdrawal through a new Sobering, Triage and Transition (STAT) program, and the county has provided opioid settlement funds to support the work.
"Currently, right now, we are for the month of September, we've already seen 44 patients," Ryan Kent, executive director of STARS, said. He added that 22 of those cases were walk‑ups, indicating more people are presenting directly to the unit rather than being brought by first responders.
Kent described the STAT program as a combined sobering service (up to 23 hours, 59 minutes) and triage unit that can connect clients to medication‑assisted treatment, Medicaid enrollment and next‑level care without transportation delays. "If withdrawal management is the correct next step for them, then all they have to do is walk upstairs, and they're in withdrawal management," Kent said, describing co‑located services in STARS' renovated facility.
Why this matters: the STAT program aims to divert people from hospital emergency departments, link them quickly to continuing treatment and close gaps that formerly caused patients to be lost during transitions between services. Spokane County selected STARS as a recipient of county opioid‑settlement funds to support a sobering and triage response while longer‑term development of a broader sobriety/relief center moves forward.
Program scale and next steps: Kent said STARS has served nearly 1,000 individuals since December across its programs, and that the September pace was notable for walk‑up demand and connections to MAT services. STARS also plans additional renovations and an expanded 3.5 level of care in the same building to create a more seamless continuum.
Ending: County staff and STARS leaders said they will continue coordinating with Department of Commerce on facility purchases and with MCOs on pathway links as the STAT program expands.
