Spokane region to keep Frontier as 988 hub; board hears legislative proposals altering ITA timeframes and provider rules
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Summary
Regional staff told the board that Frontier Behavioral Health was selected to continue as the Spokane 988 hub; members also heard multiple bills under tracking, including proposals to extend initial involuntary detention from 120 to 168 hours, alter assisted outpatient treatment standards, require clinician badging, and fund pediatric transitional care centers.
Ashley McGee provided administrative and crisis-system updates to the Spokane Regional Behavioral Health Advisory Board, reporting that Frontier Behavioral Health was selected to serve as the 988 hub for the Spokane region and that existing contracts run through June 30, 2025 with new hub transitions expected in July depending on readiness.
McGee said Frontier’s vertical integration supports a mobile dispatch model and that the region will pilot a state Scribe Care Acuity Guide to standardize response levels; Frontier will participate in the pilot to help define when mobile dispatch, scheduling within 24 hours, or immediate first-responder response is required.
On legislation, McGee outlined bills the ASO is tracking: House Bill 1905 (appointed counsel for people detained under the Involuntary Treatment Act, clarifying county responsibility), House Bill 2261 and Senate Bill 6166 (requirements for clinician identification badges and credential transparency), and bills expanding pharmacists’ prescriptive authority (noted as HB 2302 and a related companion). She said Senate Bill 2383 proposes extending the initial involuntary detention window from 120 to 168 hours (and increasing inpatient commitment from 14 to 21 days) and would align related statutory timelines; Senate Bill 6296 (number cited in discussion) would require courts to review criminal-history and firearm CPL history prior to civil commitments, clarify venue and representation, and lower the standard for assisted outpatient treatment petitions.
McGee also described facility and capacity changes affecting the region: potential new SWIMS (secure withdrawal management and stabilization) facilities, a Columbia Valley Wellness Center opening in phases (with a figure of 16 EMT beds mentioned for one unit), a planned East-side 23-hour crisis relief and sobering center targeted for 2027, and a MultiCare inpatient psychiatric unit at Deaconess South funded in part by a Department of Commerce grant and expected in late 2025.
Board members asked for additional background on the rationale for changes to detention timelines; McGee said she did not want to conjecture and that some changes arise from operational challenges such as limited inpatient beds and court staffing delays. She noted the bills remain under active tracking and that more detailed bill digests would follow as the legislative session progresses.
Next steps: the board will continue to monitor 988 hub readiness, the Scribe Care Acuity Guide pilot and legislative movement; staff will share additional details and bill numbers as they become available.