SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane City Council adopted Mayor Lisa Brown's proposal to invest an initial allocation of opioid settlement funds during this week's legislative meeting.
City Council members adopted Brown's proposal in a 5-1 vote Monday. According to to the city, the ordinance directs $500,000 to the expansion of the Spokane Fire Department's Community Assistance Response (CARES) program. The funds will be used to add a social worker, substance use disorder professional and a case manager to the team.
An additional $500,000 will go toward the creation of a High Utilizer and Complex Care Initiative meant to coordinate care, wrap-around services and case management services for individuals cycling between jail, emergency departments and local shelters.
“The passage of this funding allocation is a step forward in our commitment to community safety supporting people struggling with opioid use disorder. We are expanding a proven model and increasing our case management capacity which is designed to ultimately decrease taxpayer costs associated with jail, emergency room, and shelter use,” Mayor Brown said.
“This funding is going to save lives,” said Paul Dillon, Spokane City Council Member and chair of the Public Safety and Community Health committee. “Support for these critical programs and services helps us reach the people most vulnerable to opioid abuse disorder especially with the increased impact of fentanyl. We know when people get treatment, they get better.”
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