Seattle mayor announces new investments for post-overdose care

New investments announced Thursday in Seattle aim to help people with the recovery process after an overdose.

SEATTLE - Mayor Bruce Harrell unveiled a $7 million capital funding initiative on Monday to enhance the city's response to substance-use disorder and provide much-needed post-overdose care. The announcement detailed investment in facility improvements for local organizations that deliver opioid medication, post-overdose treatment, and case management services.

The Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) is poised to receive the majority of the funds, amounting to $5.65 million. The organization will renovate space at the Morrison Hotel on Third Avenue for a post-overdose stabilization and care facility, with expectations for work to start by the first quarter of 2025. This center will support individuals for up to 23 hours, focusing on immediate stabilization following an overdose, the initiation of medication treatments, and subsequent connections to behavioral and relevant health services.

Furthermore, Mayor Harrell emphasized the importance of swift and empathetic response strategies in addressing the current opioid dilemma, including the surge of fentanyl and synthetic drug use.

"The deadly fentanyl and synthetic opioid crisis that we are seeing on our streets and in our neighborhoods demands that we be urgent, compassionate, and innovative in how we help people suffering from addiction access life-saving treatment," Mayor Harrell stated.

This fiscal allocation advances one of the actions from Mayor Harrell's Executive Order 2023-04. Harrell commended the interdisciplinary approach that will see the Seattle Fire Department's Health 99 overdose response team utilizing the facility, thus enhancing the pathway to recovery for those affected.

The capital funding, sourced from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant, is a slice of a broader $27 million investment under the mayor’s Downtown Activation Plan aimed at fostering a secure and inviting downtown area. Federal approval of the projects is pending the fulfillment of required criteria.

Another $1.35 million may be designated to Evergreen Treatment Services (ETS) should they successfully finalize their proposal. ETS also plans to commence a new mobile clinic this summer, with an additional $1 million in city investment part of their initiative to address Seattle’s burgeoning needs.

Daniel Malone, Executive Director of DESC, and Steve Woolworth, Chief Executive Officer of Evergreen Treatment Services, each expressed gratitude for the opportunity to enhance their services and for the collaborative efforts of city, county, and regional partners.