Lynnwood updates operations at Community Justice Center as Medicaid waiver, treatment and interlocal agreements ramp up

Mayor Frizzell and the Lynnwood City Council received an update Wednesday on the Lynnwood Community Justice Center (LCJC), where officials said the facility has prioritized treatment, reentry and coordination with community partners since opening last year.

The update, led by Chief of Police Cole Langdon and jail staff, outlined declines in recidivism among people who engaged in the center’s programs, staffing levels at the facility, the start of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and the city’s work to implement a federal Medicaid 1115 waiver that officials predict will offset medical costs.

Chief Cole Langdon, Lynnwood’s police chief, framed the presentation as a progress report: “I promise not to go that long. In fact, I'm gonna talk very little. I'm gonna turn it over to the professionals here at the table,” he said, and turned the briefing over to jail staff and clinicians. Outgoing jail commander Joe Dickinson and new jail manager Greg Curtis described operational changes and the reentry-focused model the LCJC is using.

Why it matters: Council members and staff said the LCJC’s reentry and treatment work aims to reduce repeat involvement with the justice system and to shift some medical costs away from the city by billing Medicaid under an 1115 waiver. Council members pressed staff on capacity, staffing, outcomes and the waiver’s financial impact.

Key facts and figures presented

- Facility and population: The LCJC is an 88‑bed misdemeanor facility. Staff reported a high population of about 48 at one point; the facility’s census during the presentation was 35. Average length of stay was reported at about 6.8 days. - Staffing: At opening the medical/custody staffing was described as roughly 57% of allowable staff; staff reported being “closer” to 27 custody officers now (operational headcount varies due to academy detachments and other pipeline issues). Full staffing targets were discussed in the context of maintaining 24/7 operations. - Treatment and reentry: Health Services Administrator Courtney (registered nurse) said, “We were seeing about 80 to 90 percent of the people that were coming in, were detoxing from substances.” Staff said they have built a care-collaboration team that includes medical, mental-health and social-work staff plus community partners to arrange assessments, inpatient bed dates and post-release supports. - Assessments and referrals: Staff said community partners completed 51 drug-and-alcohol assessments and that 23 people had been transported from the LCJC directly to inpatient treatment so far. Social worker Andrea Mullins described “warm handoffs” to community providers and distribution of reentry kits funded by the state Health Care Authority. - Outcomes: Staff reported that among people who engaged with LCJC services, about 35% were rearrested in the tracked time window versus 45% among those who did not engage — a roughly 10 percentage‑point difference in the metric staff presented. - Costs and funding: Officials estimated current city medical costs at about $3.6 million over the biennium and said adding MAT and other components pushed the biennial medical figure closer to $7 million. The Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) committed about $2.2 million to support the LCJC’s start‑up for the 1115 waiver activities; officials said the state funding is covering administrative spin‑up costs.

Medicaid 1115 waiver and timeline

City staff described the state’s 1115 Medicaid waiver as the key mechanism to bill Medicaid (via managed care organizations) for medical and treatment services provided at the LCJC. Staff said the waiver will cover assessments, counseling, medications and reentry case management when implemented. Staff set a target to begin billing under the waiver November 1, 2025; they said the HCA has offered implementation support and seed funding for startup costs, while the long‑term cost‑recovery percentage remains uncertain.

Interlocal agreements and capacity

Chief Langdon and jail staff said interlocal agreements (ILAs) are in place or pending with neighboring jurisdictions for them to place people at the LCJC. Staff reported that ILAs are signed with the City of Mountlake Terrace, the City of Mill Creek and Lake Forest Park; Everett was reported to be bringing an ILA to its council the same night. Staff said Mountlake Terrace and Mill Creek are expected to begin housing people at LCJC on Aug. 1, 2025. Officials cautioned the facility cannot accommodate all bookings from larger jurisdictions and that intake workflows (video court, attorney access, judge availability) have been the primary complexity.

Council questions and staff responses

Council members pressed on staffing details, how MAT and methadone coordination will work (LCJC is not an opioid treatment program but staff said they will connect people to OTPs such as Acadia and administer medications delivered by providers), and on the waiver’s sustainability if statewide Medicaid funding or rules change. Staff said they continue to monitor California’s experience with 1115 waivers and that precise cost‑recovery numbers are not yet available; they described the effort as “low risk” and any cost‑recapture as a potential offset for city medical expenses.

Direct quotes from staff and clinicians are included in the council presentation: Jail manager Greg Curtis said he was “impressed with the work that's already been done,” and Courtney described the MAT expansion as “really big” because it will allow the facility to start people on treatment rather than only continuing preexisting treatment.

What council directed or decided

There was no council vote reported on new policy during the briefing. Council members asked for continued updates and indicated support for the LCJC’s treatment and reentry orientation. Staff invited council members to tour the facility and offered ongoing briefings as implementation continues.

Ending

Officials said the LCJC will proceed with its MAT program and continue steps to implement the 1115 waiver with a live target of Nov. 1, 2025. Interlocal agreements with neighboring cities for housing people at LCJC were in place or near completion, and staff requested continued council support for program staffing and the administrative work required to maintain Medicaid billing and community partnerships.