Spokane Valley updates on Safe & Healthy Spokane task force; council presses for time and clarity

Deputy City Manager Eric Lam told the council the Safe & Healthy Spokane task force has identified several systemwide problems — from limited crisis stabilization and inconsistent reentry services to workforce shortages and fragmented data systems — and proposed short‑, mid‑ and long‑term opportunities to strengthen crisis response and behavioral‑health supports.

Lam said the task force’s asset assessment emphasized housing scarcity as a fulcrum of the system and recommended measures such as medication continuity after jail or hospital stays, improved reentry services, and integrated data dashboards. He noted the group has formed four subcommittees aligned with the sequential intercept model (prevention/crisis response; custody/courts; reentry/discharge/community corrections; facilities/infrastructure/system coordination).

Council members expressed concern about the task force’s aggressive timeline: subcommittees were expected to begin in February with recommendations due to elected officials by May 1. City Manager John Homan and Lam acknowledged the timeline is ambitious and said they will press stakeholders to allow more time if necessary. The council also discussed the potential for a future ballot measure to fund facilities and treatment and the need for clearer accountability and stakeholder alignment.

Lam said some operational 'wins' have already been identified, including new public‑safety dashboards and a felony pretrial diversion pilot being developed by the prosecutor’s office. He stressed that many solutions will likely need funding and that staff will continue to advocate for meaningful engagement timelines.

Next steps: Subcommittees will begin work in February; Lam will return with updates and any requests for the council about funding or participation.