Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Behavioral Health Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County, city and health‑district staff outline crisis and opioid services expansion; Maddie’s Place and STARS funding discussed
Summary
Behavioral‑health staff updated commissioners on state awards to Maddie’s Place, progress on a regional crisis stabilization center, and interlocal agreement negotiations with the city to expand STARS sobering and co‑response programs; staff urged clarity on sustainable Medicaid reimbursement and long‑term funding.
County behavioral‑health staff briefed the Board of Commissioners on April 29 about multiple crisis‑and‑opioid‑response items, including state budget awards for Maddie’s Place, progress on the Spokane Regional Stabilization Center (crisis center), and interlocal agreements (ILAs) with the city to expand STARS (sobering, triage and transition) services and co‑response programs.
Staff said Maddie’s Place secured $2 million in the state capital budget to support operations but noted there remains uncertainty about sustainable Medicaid reimbursement and whether Maddie’s Place can expand bed counts; staff said the facility’s ongoing inclusion in Medicaid reimbursement would require state Health Care Authority (HCA) action and urged further advocacy to the new administration. Staff also said state operating dollars for acute‑care diversion were included in the budget, which will help sustain the regional stabilization center.
On STARS and SRHD‑provided opioid‑treatment services, staff described existing county support for opioid‑use‑disorder (OUD) treatment, including medication‑assisted treatment (MAT) and outreach; STARS sees about 80 unique individuals per month and has transitioned many to withdrawal‑management or ongoing treatment. Staff and legal teams are negotiating ILAs with the city (expected for city council consideration May 12 and county board consideration May 13) to fund and operate co‑response and STARS expansions. Staff cautioned that SRHD expansion requires additional planning and potentially multi‑year funding to scale hours and staffing reliably.
Staff also noted the county already funds opioid‑treatment services through contracts and highlighted success metrics: the county’s OTP and OUD services reached hundreds of unique individuals and STARS connected around 400 individuals since December when it began operations. County and city negotiators plan to finalize ILAs and clarify payment and data‑sharing terms before formal approvals.
Commissioners asked staff to ensure the health district has sufficient operational detail and sustainable funding before committing county funds; staff said they are working to produce pro forma staffing and fiscal plans for SRHD and to secure commitments in ILAs to limit county risk.
