In 2022, the Washington State Attorney General's Office settled litigation against three opioid distributors who were found responsible for playing key roles in fueling the opioid epidemic. As part of the nationwide agreement, Washington state was awarded $518 million to be paid out in allocations through 2038.
The City of Spokane was one of 125 eligible local governments that signed onto the half-billion-dollar resolution. Over 17 years, the City will receive $13.3 million to be used toward treatment and other programs to combat the opioid crisis. Additional funds are expected as a result of another settlement that was reached in June of 2025.
Mayor Lisa Brown and her Administration, in partnership with service providers, conducted a sequential intercept model (SIM) analysis to identify the most critical gaps across Spokane's behavioral health and legal systems, and subsequently directed investments to fill those gaps.
To date, the City of Spokane has allocated more than $3.3 million to the following programs:
Increased clinical and administrative capacity, allowing CARES to absorb a rise in referrals and expand outreach to those struggling with opioid use disorder
Allocation: $500,000
Launched case management services for up to 50 opioid use disorder high utilizers
Allocation: $500,000
Embedded a behavioral health provider with Code Enforcement and Spokane Police's Homeless Outreach Team to ensure individuals are appropriately navigated to treatment
Allocation: $124,350
Expanded access to medication assisted treatment services in collaboration with Spokane County
Allocation: $350,000
Added 12 additional sobering beds at STARS in partnership with Spokane County
Allocation: $500,000
Hired a project employee to track performance of opioid settlement dollars and strengthen collection of OUD metrics
Allocation: $115,000
Identified funding for a grant to support the planning and launch of a culturally-specific behavioral health treatment program
Allocation: $500,000
Provided funding to Maddie's Place for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome treatment
Allocation: $300,000
Supported capital investments for mobile MAT and outreach
Allocation: $30,000
Invested in outreach, capacity, and services to navigate people living outdoors and struggling with opioid use disorder into housing and treatment options
Allocation: $400,000
In Spokane
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