Spokane County approves $775,000 contract to fund sobering and triage services with STARS

The Spokane County Board of Commissioners voted 4-0 on March 4, 2025, to approve contract number 25ASO2942 with Spokane Treatment and Recovery Services (STARS) to renovate, improve or acquire a site to provide sobering and triage behavioral health services for an amount not to exceed $775,000 and a contract period listed as Feb. 1, 2025, through April 30, 2025.

The contract, presented by Justin Johnson of Spokane County Community Services, was described as a regional partnership involving the Washington State Department of Commerce and an investment from the Washington State Legislature. Johnson said the agreement "represents Spokane County's commitment to ongoing innovation, regional partnership, and the long term investment in providing real solutions to pay for [the] health and opioid epidemic impacting our community." The board approved the motion 4-0.

STARS representatives told the commissioners the investment will increase available behavioral health capacity. A STARS speaker said the facility would allow the organization to "deliver services for the next 10 years at the very least," and another STARS employee, Bobbie Smith, described personal experience with recovery and the importance of long-term treatment: "I'm 17 years clean and sober and I couldn't have done it without a long long term, treatment and the help and the support and guidance that I still get even from STARS."

County commissioners thanked staff, STARS and state partners during the discussion. Commissioner Jordan said the action addressed the top priority identified in the county's opioid planning outreach — expanding accessible treatment — and noted the county is investing opioid settlement dollars to fund the effort. Commissioners also acknowledged the Department of Commerce's role and legislative investment that helped secure the money.

The contract description in the meeting record lists the purpose as "renovation, capital improvement, and or purchase of an existing service site location to provide sobering and triage treatment services." The contract period and dollar ceiling appear in the motion: Feb. 1, 2025–April 30, 2025, not to exceed $775,000. No further ordinance or code citation was provided on the record.

Votes at a glance - Motion to execute Contract 25ASO2942 with Spokane Treatment and Recovery Services (STARS) for renovation/capital improvement/purchase of a site to provide sobering and triage services, period 02/01/2025–04/30/2025, amount not to exceed $775,000 — Approved 4-0. - Motion to approve agenda items 4A, 5A and 6B–6O (consent items), excluding 6A — Approved 4-0. - Proclamation: March 2025 as "Women Helping Women Week" in Spokane County — Approved 4-0; presenters from Women Helping Women Fund spoke after the vote. - Proclamation: March 2025 as "Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month" in Spokane County — Approved 4-0; Spokane County Developmental Disabilities Program Manager Brian Nichols and local advocates spoke after the vote.

The board completed the printed agenda after the vote and signed documents. County staff and STARS representatives were invited to pose for a photograph before adjournment.

(Reporting notes: the contract number and dollar amount were read into the record during the March 4, 2025, legislative meeting; commissioners identified the funding source in discussion as opioid settlement dollars and named the Department of Commerce and the Washington State Legislature as partners. The meeting record did not include a detailed project scope, project address, or separate ordinance number for the action.)