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Spokane County to expand Crisis Relief and Sobering Center near jail; groundbreaking planned for January
Summary
Spokane County presented plans to expand its Crisis Relief and Sobering Center at Boone and Cedar adjacent to the jail, with a design for up to 24 chairs (16 crisis, 8 sobering), funding from county opioid settlement dollars and state grants, Pioneer Human Services selected as operator via RFP, and a target opening in 2027.
Spokane County leaders reviewed a detailed plan to expand the county’s Crisis Relief and Sobering Center at Boone and Cedar, kitty‑corner to the county jail, with county staff saying the project will add a 23‑hour‑59‑minute crisis relief service alongside sobering services and space to scale.
"It's gonna be a revolutionary resource for those that may come contact with first responders," said Justin Johnson, director of Spokane County Community Services, who led the presentation. Johnson said the project would provide a walk‑in receiving center, a secure drop‑off bay for law enforcement and ambulances, and separate therapeutic spaces intended to be less institutional than the existing stabilization center.
Why it matters: County officials said the expanded center aims to reduce unnecessary emergency‑room visits and jail diversions by offering on‑site medical screening, warm handoffs to treatment, and quicker access to inpatient care when appropriate. The model is based on existing sites in Washington where staff reported faster connections to inpatient treatment and improved continuity of care.
County funding and timeline: Johnson said the county budgeted $5,000,000 in opioid settlement funds for the project, the state awarded $3,000,000, the county has requested a $3,000,000 federal appropriation, and $10,000,000 of mineral sales tax has been set aside toward capital costs. He said the county expects to break ground in January and is targeting a 2027 opening.
Capacity and operations: The current plan calls for 16 crisis chairs plus 8 sobering chairs (24 total) with the ability to operate smaller configurations (16 and 8) to match demand. County staff said average stays at comparable centers statewide run about 10 to 18 hours, not the full 23 hours and 59 minutes that the state classification allows.
Operator and services: Pioneer Human Services was selected through a request‑for‑proposal process to operate the facility, Johnson said, but a contract has not yet been executed. The county described planned co‑located services such as medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), medication management and periodic pop‑up medical clinics, as well as a stronger on‑site medical screening process intended to reduce transfers to hospital emergency departments.
Design and community integration: Renderings shown to the board place the new building on the north side of the existing stabilization center lot; the historic stabilization building’s red‑brick façade will remain unchanged, county staff said. Officials emphasized an open, therapeutic lobby and secure spaces for charting and protected health information, and said outdoor therapeutic areas will be enlarged.
Next steps: County staff will finalize design details, complete procurement and sign a contract with Pioneer before opening. Additional public outreach and a final facility name will be announced later; Johnson said the board has not chosen a final name.
The county presentation did not include a final construction contract or a firm operating budget for day‑to‑day operations; those items remain subject to future approvals and procurement steps. The board will receive further updates as the project moves into design and construction.
