Dutch Shisler Sobering Support Center

Purpose

The Dutch Shisler Sobering Support Center serves people who are alcoholic and addicted, and who need a safe place to sleep off the effects of alcohol or drugs.

The Sobering Support Center, located in downtown Seattle, is open all day, every day of the year. It is the "front door" through which people can get services. People can move toward a stable living arrangement, can get help with income support, and can begin to develop greater self-care and self-determination.

Population Served

People who are chronically alcoholic and addicted are the Sobering Center's primary focus. These clients are often homeless and have very little control of their lives. They are challenged by the rules in our society. It is hard for them to keep appointments, provide needed documentation, or to stay in touch with case workers. King County has made an active effort to reach out to this vulnerable population for more than twenty years. The Sobering Center is one of the chief means of outreach to this group, jointly funded by King County and the City of Seattle.

More than 1,000 people who are chronically addicted to alcohol/drugs have been identified in King County. About 900 of them are homeless and live on the streets of Seattle. They have a problem finding safe shelter because most homeless shelters will not take people who are intoxicated, due primarily to liability issues and not being equipped to handle their special needs. The Dutch Shisler Sobering Support Center is set up to meet these special needs and point a way out of the street lifestyle.

Services

Services provided by the Sobering Center include:

• Emergency Services Patrol van transportation to and from the facility
• Screening for medical problems
• Shelter for sleeping off the effects of alcohol or other drugs
• Case management to assist with needed social services.

The Dutch Shisler Sobering Support Center offers a safe a place where people who are alcoholic/addicted can sleep off the effects of alcohol/drugs. The center is clean, dry and warm. People usually stay in the facility for 8 to 14 hours per visit. They can get food and clean clothing if they need them.

The center can have up to 60 people at any one time and serves about 2,000 people a year.

Dutch Shisler Sobering Support Center staff members are trained to know and recognize the common medical problems of homeless people with chronic  alcohol or drug addiction. They give emergency first aid and send people in need of emergency medical care to Harborview Medical Center.

Case Management

People using the center are asked to get involved with case management. Case managers can assist clients with income support, employment, housing, health care, substance abuse treatment, and the development of self-sufficiency skills.

About the Name

The Sobering Support Center is named in honor of the late Dutch Shisler, the first supervisor of the King County Emergency Services Patrol, a long-time King County employee, and an enthusiastic advocate for people who are chronically alcoholic and addicted.

For More Information

Dutch Shisler Sobering Support Center
1930 Boren Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121

For more information, call (206) 205-1080
To speak to someone about a referral, call (206) 205-1092.