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Local board flags shrinking youth behavioral-health capacity and access barriers
Summary
Spokane board members and guests reported shrinking services for children and adolescents, long waits for youth inpatient care, lack of SUD beds for teens, and transportation barriers that force families to seek care far from home.
Board members described a worsening picture for youth behavioral-health care across the Spokane region, saying inpatient and specialized youth capacity has declined and waits are growing. One participant summarized regional trends as "a decrease in services in some ways. Loss of services certainly for kids and adolescents," and multiple members echoed concerns about long waits and limited step-down options.
Guests and board members added that transportation magnifies those shortages: when local youth require inpatient or specialized SUD care, families often must send young people across the state. A board member who helped run a regional focus group said teens are sometimes "shipped on the other side of the state," and noted the lack of family-friendly step-down services complicates reintegration.
