Medical Lake council hears regional "treatment-first" MOU, agrees to take up signature in January

Medical Lake council members spent a December workshop discussing a nonbinding memorandum of understanding that would formally endorse a regional "treatment-first" approach to people with severe addiction and behavioral health conditions who are living outdoors or engaged in criminal behavior.

Sheldon Jackson of Spokane, introduced as a participant in the grassroots effort, described two documents provided to the council: "1 is the MOU, which, again, [is] nonbinding," and a study by Dr. Marbot. Jackson said the aim is to have "every jurisdiction sign and deliver it to HUD" to show local willingness to implement treatment-focused policies tied to how federal funds are administered.

Sheriff Knowles, who joined the discussion, described the population the presenters said the policy targets: "They are the people who are willingly living on the street because they would rather stay addicted to drugs or not address the mental health issues that they have." He framed the MOU as a way to shift some existing federal HUD funding priorities toward treatment rather than housing for those who refuse services or who are dual-diagnosed.

Speakers repeatedly contrasted the new policy with a housing-first approach. Jackson and the sheriff argued that some providers operating under housing-first rules cannot qualify for certain funding and that a treatment-first emphasis could expand eligible providers and services. Jackson summarized the financial stakes cited during the workshop, saying the federal policy conversation includes a possible "defunding" scenario, with some numbers discussed locally (presenters referenced as much as $9,000,000 tied to continuum-of-care funding) if communities do not align with federal priorities.

Council members asked for specifics on finance and implementation. Council Member Kennedy and others pressed whether the federal government would provide new money; presenters said the MOU would not by itself create new federal funds but could change how existing funds are allocated, for example shifting a larger proportion of HUD allocations toward treatment services. Sheriff Knowles reiterated that the MOU is intended as a unified regional statement of support: "This isn't even a financial obligation to you. This is just a signed statement of we believe this is the policy we should carry forward."

After discussion about nearby jurisdictions that have signed or intend to sign (Airway Heights, Liberty Lake, Millwood, others) and about how the policy might reach rural areas, Mayor Terry Cooper closed the workshop by asking whether council wanted the item brought back for signature. The council agreed to place the MOU on the January meeting agenda for consideration and signature.

Next steps: the council will receive the MOU on the January agenda, at which point officials indicated they would decide whether to sign and return the document to the MOU organizers.