Municipal court to contract for DOJ-funded domestic-violence treatment after local providers decline RFP

Michael Diamond of Spokane Municipal Court told the committee that the court secured a 2023 DOJ Office for Victims of Crime grant for $500,000 to fund domestic-violence intervention treatment for defendants who cannot pay or who lack coverage.

Diamond said the city issued an RFP in September but neither of the two local domestic-violence treatment providers applied — one is contracted with Superior Court and the other is at capacity through the treatment court. As a result, the court proposes contracting with Northwest Behavior Modification Clinic from Yakima. Under the contract the Yakima provider will lease space in downtown Spokane and provide in-person evaluations and up to three days a week of in-person services; the contract permits up to 50% of ongoing group treatment to be delivered by telehealth.

Nut graf: The grant-funded contract is intended to remove a common barrier to sentencing conditions that require treatment: inability to pay. Diamond said the need is substantial because around 90% of municipal-court defendants fall at or below 125% of the poverty threshold and roughly one-third of supervised defendants have a domestic-violence charge.

Committee members asked why local providers did not apply and whether telehealth is effective for this kind of treatment. Diamond said one local provider is under a Superior Court contract and the other serves the specialized domestic-violence intervention treatment court and is at capacity. He said Washington state has recently allowed telehealth for these services under WAC updates but that systematic outcome data on telehealth effectiveness is not yet available.

Ending: The committee received the contract briefing; Diamond said funds cover the grant period (through February) and the court can apply for a one-year grant extension. The contract will be presented in the city packet; no committee vote was recorded at the briefing.