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County readies HOPE (Lumen School) contract to provide on-site clinician for parenting students
Summary
Spokane County staff said a contract with Lumen Schools will provide at least one master's-level clinician on site for parenting and education services under a new HOPE program; the board will see the contract on the agenda in coming weeks and staff will revisit cost on Jan. 1, 2026.
County staff told commissioners on Oct. 7 they will present a contract with Lumen Schools to operate a parenting and educational-attainment program rebranded as HOPE (Health, Opportunity, Parenting and Education). The program is intended to place services on site for young parents working to continue education.
A county presenter said the contract will fund at least one master's-level clinician to provide a range of supports and make connections to community providers, schools and other supports. "State law doesn't necessarily require licensure for an MHP or mental health professional, but we are working with them to say, what does that program look like in the future?" staff said.
Staff reported an initial annualized contract amount of $180,000 (presented as an annualized figure) which is lower than earlier estimates. The presenter said staff will revisit the contract on Jan. 1, 2026, to identify long-term costs and to adjust for state budget changes.
Commissioners were asked to approve moving the contract forward to the board agenda; staff said the item will come before the board in the upcoming meeting cycle. The county emphasized the program aligns with upstream prevention work and the ISW initiative.
Ending: Staff asked the board to approve advancing the contract to the consent agenda so the program can begin delivering services and staff will return with any required adjustments after January.
