(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is continuing his spending efforts to address the region’s drug addiction crisis with new funding to boost inpatient treatment bed capacity in the city.
Harrell announced $2.6 million in national opioid litigation funds to provide Valley Cities Recovery Place in the Beacon Hill district with more treatment beds through a pilot program.
Valley Cities Recovery Place provides licensed mental health and substance abuse treatment for people in need. The nonprofit organization also conducts homeless outreach, housing support services, and specialized care throughout King County.
Valley Cities Recovery Place CEO Shekh Ali said that Harrell’s initiative reserves five “withdrawal management” beds and eight residential treatment beds. That means the $2.6 million comes down to $200,000 per bed.
The nonprofit estimates up to 150 people could be served over one year. The $2.6 million also helps the organization increase intake capability to 24 hours, everyday.
Upon contract execution, Valley Cities Recovery Place anticipates referrals beginning later this year.
“This expansion is a vital step in equipping Seattle with additional tools to tackle the opioid crisis and support residents on their path to recovery,” Ali said in a statement.
Back in March, the city received a one-time distribution of $1.75 million from Walmart as part of the national opioid litigation. The city expects an additional award of over $1 million this year.
Harrell’s newly announced pilot program with Valley Cities Recovery Place is part of his executive order addressing the city’s opioid drug crisis. He signed the order in April 2023.
The executive order is a two-pronged effort to address the opioid crisis. It includes a law enforcement approach to disrupt the distribution and sale of synthetic drugs and hold narcotic traffickers accountable. It also seeks to expand access to treatment services and overdose reversal medications.
Last year, King County saw a record-shattering 1,338 drug overdose deaths. So far through Thursday, there have been 667 drug overdose deaths in 2024.