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Spokane region directs opioid‑abatement funds toward treatment, outreach, sobering and recovery housing
Summary
Regional opioid‑abatement council members told the SCRIBE meeting that local jurisdictions are using settlement funds for treatment expansion, syringe takebacks, mobile MAT, sober housing and plans for a sobering/relief center. County officials said transparent reporting and coordination are priorities to avoid duplicative spending.
Ashley McGee, behavioral health manager for the regional ASO, briefed SCRIBE on regional opioid‑abatement council (OAC) activity and how jurisdictions plan to use settlement funds.
She said OAC investments across the six‑county region follow the 1 Washington memorandum of understanding and are being used for a range of interventions: treatment services, syringe takeback programs, mobile medication‑assisted treatment (MAT), navigation and street outreach, canine units to target distribution, transportation to treatment, youth prevention programs, therapeutic courts, recovery housing and co‑response teams. In Spokane County, Ashley said priorities include expanding an existing STAT program, sobering triage and transition services, and building a crisis relief and sobering center that would align with the Spokane stabilization center.
"The intent and purpose for the use of these funds have been to go out to individuals," Justin Johnson said, praising local transparency and coordinated decision‑making among municipalities and counties. Robert Rosenfrantz, a meeting participant, emphasized the need to avoid duplication and to ensure proposed services are discrete and needed.
Ashley said municipalities are posting project details on the region’s OAC web pages and that 2024 investment reports are being posted; 2025 plans and the minutes for OAC decisions will also be available as municipalities finalize applications. The updates were presented for information and coordination; no formal action occurred at the meeting.
