Spokane Breaks Ground on $21M Addiction Treatment Center

Spokane County is building hope, one shovel of dirt at a time.

Officials broke ground Thursday on a 17,000-square-foot facility designed to save lives in the middle of an addiction crisis. The Prevention, Assessment, Treatment and Healing (PATH) Crisis Relief and Sobering Center will give people fighting substance abuse and mental health struggles a place to heal instead of ending up in jail or overwhelmed emergency rooms.

The numbers tell a sobering story. Spokane County recorded 344 overdose deaths in 2025, up from just 80 in 2019. The county's existing 46-bed stabilization center has helped more than 8,000 people since opening in 2021, but it's full nearly every day.

"This facility will be a beacon of hope in our region's fight against the opioid epidemic," said County Commissioner Chris Jordan. "The healing that will happen here will save lives and put many people on the road to recovery and stability."

The new center tackles a problem that's broken across America's healthcare system. When someone's in crisis, they often get stuck bouncing between hospitals, jails, and streets with nowhere to turn. This facility changes that by putting crisis relief, sobering services, withdrawal management, and treatment all under one roof.

Opening in early 2027, the center will take pressure off local hospitals while giving people immediate help when they need it most. Director Justin Johnson explained that centralized care means people won't get lost in a complex system anymore.

The Ripple Effect

Beyond treating individuals, this expansion represents a community coming together. The $21 million project pulled funding from state budgets, federal spending, local mental health sales tax, and settlement money from opioid manufacturers.

State Senator Marcus Riccelli said the facility earned two separate capital budget allocations because legislators recognized its importance. "We're investing in the wellness of our community members," he said.

The county is also funding related programs including neonatal care for babies born with addiction exposure, co-responder teams pairing mental health workers with police and firefighters, and wellness programs in local schools. Each piece works together to catch people before crisis hits and support them through recovery.

As Commissioner Mary Brooks noted at Thursday's groundbreaking, every bed in the current facility was full that morning, proving the community's urgent need for expanded care.