The building where the Sobering Center is currently located in South Lake Union has been sold. King County and the City of Seattle have a duty to maintain these important services. Trammel Crow is leasing the current site back to CPC from January 2019 to June 2019 and has made it clear that there is no room for flexibility beyond that.

The Housing & Community Developer consultant on this project from Catholic Housing Services of Western Washington indicates that Community Psychiatric Clinic, their development consultant, and their real estate broker searched for available commercial buildings that would be appropriate for the Sobering Center close to or within the catchment area for the Emergency Services Patrol. Community Psychiatric Clinic examined the feasibility of several sites that were not selected due to issues like budget, space limitations, or development timelines.  

The relocation is moving forward with solicitation and careful consideration of community feedback. Planning around the medical clinic, sobering center, outreach and transport services and behavioral health services are all currently under discussion in meetings with community members large and small. A good neighbor agreement and/or community advisory committee are all being discussed.   

It is hard to respond to a “best” location and what that would entail. This location is within the necessary catchment area, is affordable and has sufficient space to meet the needs of the various service partners that will be located on the site. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t issues that need to be addressed. A best or perfect site probably does not exist, but the County will do our best to address community concerns and make the services available that keep people alive and that may also have a positive impact on the Georgetown community. 

Correct. There is no expectation of serving 20,000 people at a time. The sobering portion can serve a maximum of 60 individuals at a time. The medical clinic will provide healthcare for the homeless and will have three exam rooms and one procedure room to serve individuals as needed.  The behavioral health clinic will have five consultation rooms and two group rooms to provide behavioral health treatment as needed. 

The City of Shoreline offered a piece of land owned by Shoreline for development as housing for people with behavioral health needs exiting homelessness. CPC is partnering with the City to develop 80-100 housing units on the city’s property and King County is also involved in the project as a test of the durability and cost effectiveness of modular construction for affordable housing development. 

As the building owner, Community Psychiatric Clinic is responsible for working through the permitting process with the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI). The planned use is consistent with the zoning, and the final determination will be with SDCI.

DCHS has committed to working with Metro and the Georgetown community on bus transportation. More discussions will follow with Georgetown community members nad representatives from Metro.  The building will monitor and collect trash regularly. The County will meet and discuss security needs more with the community.  All Sobering Center staff are trained in de-escalation techniques and work hard to minimize disruptions on site. King County is committed to being a good neighbor. This is an area where King County will seek additional community input and can change or adjust plans or approaches in partnership with the community.  The Emergency Service Patrol will add a visible presence to the community.

The City of Seattle and King County jointly fund this suite of life-saving services.

Yes – completed by Leo Flor.

The County generally contracts services out to the community.

DCHS believes sobering and medical services are vital to assist people in need, promotes recovery and reduce cost in the community. This is in line with the mission of King County and DCHS.

Yes – completed by Leo Flor on March 1, 2019

The building where the Sobering Center is currently located in South Lake Union has been sold and a new location is needed to continue these important services.

The Sobering Center is bringing many of the necessary services with it when it comes: medical and behavioral health care clinic, sobering services, street outreach, case management, referral to housing and employment services and more.

Georgetown has issues with homelessness and intoxication. The community voiced frustration with a lack of law enforcement to intervene. The ESP van and street outreach teams can help with both these issues. The availability of physical and behavioral health care on site could be also be a community asset. The current facility has operated near similar establishments without issues.

The ESP van provides transport to and from the center for clients. Bus tickets for Metro will be available. There are other possibilities that can and will be explored with King County Metro to try to mitigate transportation impact and hopefully improve the transportation outlook for the neighborhood. DCHS Director Leo Flor committed to engaging with Metro to discuss the transportation needs in the community.

Community Psychiatric Clinic purchased the new site in a private sale. The Housing & Community Developer consultant on this project from Catholic Housing Services of Western Washington indicates that Community Psychiatric Clinic selected potential relocation sites for the Sobering Center based on proximity to the Emergency Services Patrol catchment area, square footage of the building and suitability for Sobering Center services, the purchase price, rehabilitation costs, egress and ingress for Emergency Services Patrol vans to the building, access to main roads for the vans to get to the rest of the catchment area, and access to transit lines.

The Housing & Community Developer consultant on this project from Catholic Housing Services of Western Washington indicates that Community Psychiatric Clinic, their development consultant, and their real estate broker searched for available commercial buildings that would be appropriate for the Sobering Center close to the catchment area for the Emergency Services Patrol. Community Psychiatric Clinic examined the feasibility of several sites near the catchment area that ultimately were not selected due to either budget or development timeline.

According to the Housing & Community Developer consultant on this project from Catholic Housing Services of Western Washington indicates that as the building owner, Community Psychiatric Clinic will be responsible for managing the permitting process with the City of Seattle. CPC has begun the permitting process with the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI). They will go through the permitting process for the building rehabilitation plans. The planned use is consistent with the zoning, and the final determination will be with SDCI.

Per the Housing & Community Developer consultant on this project from Catholic Housing Services of Western Washington, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections will apply the building code appropriate for the occupancy type and review and approve all plans for structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing upgrades to ensure fire and life safety for the building, its occupants, and its neighbors.

King County DCHS is committed to having ongoing conversations with Georgetown Community members during every stage from planning to transition process and beyond.  We value community partnerships and relationships, as well as being a good neighbor.  Our hope is that these continued conversations will yield mutually beneficial solutions with both sides prioritizing listening to each other.

Engaging with community is an important, expected and necessary part of any project and King County DCHS approaches community conversations with Georgetown with complete sincerity.  The residents of Georgetown, as well as all of King County, are the most important stakeholder in the work we do. As the Department of Community and Human Services, we are invested in the well-being of all King County residents.

DCHS is committed to working with the community around the sobering center and related services. We had no involvement in any discussions or agreements with regard to a homeless village that may have been negotiated at another time, but our REACH homeless outreach team may be able to assist with housing navigation and other services if they do not such assistance in the village. 

King County is bringing many of the needed services in to the community (homeless outreach, sobering services, health and behavioral health clinic). DCHS has promised to work with the community and Metro to explore transportation solutions. The existence of the ESP van patrols will help local police and fire to respond to people who are incapacitated due to substance use. That potentially leaves police and fire more available for more troubling criminal situations. 

King County will work with Seattle Police and the King County Sheriff on the move. The ESP and Seattle Police and Fire already work together closely.

King County and Community Psychiatric Clinic welcome community input, particularly on how to ensure the building and sobering center can be good neighbors in the community, transportation and other questions, issues or concerns. King County will work to mitigate those concerns, including facilitating and participating in community meetings as well as meetings with other city and county departments, to review and discuss ideas or concerns. Community input has already included asking to identify potential community meeting space within the building, asking that vehicle traffic focus on the non-storefront side of the building, and requests to update exterior aspects of the building to improve the streetscape, like adding window awnings or providing display spaces for local art.

King County and CPC have just begun to work with the community. A second community meeting will be scheduled for early 2019 and the service providers will attend to answer questions 1:1 with the community about their service plans. King County will create a web page that will include an option to sign up for alerts. Other community meetings and/or attendance at monthly Georgetown Council meetings are also anticipated.

King County is happy to arrange for community members to tour the current Sobering Center in South Lake Union to get a feel for how the facility is set up and how it operates. In addition, King County will set up an Open House type of event at the current Sobering Center and invite Georgetown community members to tour. Once that is scheduled, the day and time will be communicated to the Georgetown community.

As to touring the new building, CPC has a tight timeline for building renovations. King County and CPC work with that construction schedule to try to carve out time for a representative group to tour inside. Working with the construction leads will be key for safety. We will also hope to be able to share the renovation plans for the site at an upcoming community meeting.

King County and CPC are committed to being good neighbors by participating with the community in addressing concerns and questions. King County would like more dialogue with the community on existing areas of concern in Georgetown and how we may be able to help. Through participation in community meetings and forums that the Georgetown Community Council has designated, through one-on-one conversations and in meetings the County convenes, we will work to hear and strategize solutions to issues and concerns with the community. A continuing Advisory Council could be established if there is interest.

In the 20 years of operation at the current site, the South Lake Union area has not experienced any significant increased neighborhood crime from Sobering Center clients. Staff are actively engaged with the clients and there are interior and exterior cameras to monitor any activity near the building. The Seattle Police and Fire Departments have a strong, long-time relationship with the Sobering Center and ESP and there is frequent communication between the agencies around client needs and transportation. The ESP van patrolling the streets will bring an added aspect of safety and service to the Georgetown area by being more available to pick up and transport anyone inebriated from the local streets.

The Emergency Service Patrol is dispatched by 911 and maintains open and ongoing communication with Seattle Police and Fire.  King County DCHS is currently in dialogue with SPD and SFD to discuss the relocation of the Sobering Center.

The main mission of the REACH outreach teams is to engage in street outreach to the homeless, engage individuals to move to shelter and housing. The REACH teams will be able to provide this service to those who are homeless in Georgetown. Homeless individuals in Georgetown may benefit from medical and behavioral health services at the new site. If they are struggling with intoxication, sobering services will also be available. These will all be new resources based in the Georgetown community.

The ESP van can help move willing people to shelters and other locations. 

Sobering Center clients are picked up by the ESP vans throughout downtown and south Seattle. After the clients’ stay at the Sobering Center, ESP will provide transportation back to the area at which they were picked up or to treatment options. Some people walk into the Sobering Center from local neighborhoods, and would then walk back out after their stay. To be clear, King County cannot force a client to take ESP or public transportation after their stay. Bus tickets are available for people who need public transportation outside the ESP van routes. The experience at the current sobering center is that the vast majority of clients prefer to return to their community rather than staying near the sobering center. King County is committed to working on a transportation plan for clients that does not leave them stranded at the Sobering Center or in the Georgetown neighborhood.

In the 20 years of operation at the current site, the South Lake Union area has not experienced any significant increased neighborhood crime from Sobering Center clients. Staff are actively engaged with the clients and there are interior and exterior cameras to monitor any activity near the building. The Seattle Police and Fire Departments have a strong, long-time relationships with the Sobering Center and there is frequent communication between the agencies around client needs and transportation. The ESP van patrolling the streets will bring an added aspect of safety and service to the Georgetown area by being more available to pick up and transport anyone inebriated from the local streets.

The Sobering Center’s presence has not negatively impacted the business community in South Lake Union and the providers involved in the project expect the same for Georgetown. Community Psychiatric Clinic, as the building’s owner, and King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division, as the building lessee, will meet with local businesses and community members prior to opening to discuss the project and both will continue to work with neighbors to address any issues that arise once the facility opens. The presence of the ESP van on Georgetown streets would also be a positive presence, as will the availability of REACH outreach workers to come out to talk with homeless persons who might need assistance; we expect both services to be responsive to the needs of local businesses.

There are some people who are transported to the Sobering Center once and are never seen again. There are some clients who, as a result of their addiction to substances, may cycle through the Sobering Center multiple times. With each visit, staff attempt to engage the client into services, but services are voluntary and no one is compelled to enter into treatment.

The REACH outreach teams will attempt to engage and move to shelter and housing the people they see and meet with who are homeless in Georgetown. Homeless people in Georgetown may benefit from medical and behavioral health services at the new site. If they are struggling with intoxication, sobering services will also be available. These will all be new resources based in the Georgetown community.

The majority of Sobering Center clients are picked up by the Emergency Service Patrol (ESP) vans. After the clients’ stay at the Sobering Center, they are offered a ride by the van back to where they were picked up or to treatment services. Bus tickets are available for people who need public transportation outside the ESP van routes. King County is committed to working on a transportation plan for clients that does not leave them stranded. Most clients at the current sobering center prefer to return to their community rather than staying near the sobering center.

The ESP van provides transport to and from the center for clients. Bus tickets for Metro will be available. There are other possibilities that can and will be explored with King County Metro to try to mitigate transportation impact and hopefully improve the transportation outlook for the neighborhood. However, people can choose to stay in Georgetown like anybody else walking, driving or taking a bus in to the area. 

The center does not turn away people in need of service. They work with the ESP van to take people to other shelters or services if more space is needed. 

There will be no change to the sobering center capacity. The sobering center currently serves up to 60 adults at a time. This capacity will remain the same. 

During 2018:

• 1567 unduplicated individuals accessed the sobering center
• 754 accessed the sobering center one time
• 495 accessed the sobering center 2 to 10 times
• 318 accessed the sobering center more than 10 times

Given the science of addictions, it is not surprising to see that there is a certain percentage of repeat visitors to the sobering center.  There is a value for individuals to return to the sobering center as it provides linkage to other services as needed.

Services that will be operated within the facility include:

• 24/7 Sobering Center – provided by Pioneer Human Services
• REACH Outreach – provided by Evergreen Treatment Services
• 24/7 Emergency Service Patrol – provided by King County
• Behavioral Health Services – provided by Community Psychiatric Clinic

Other services like transportation and police presence are outside of King County’s direct control, however, King County is committed to working with these partners to address issues and concerns in the community.

Factors to consider are people staying on site to receive medical and behavioral health services after their sobering stay is completed. The sobering contractor will also stage discharge times to make best use of ESP.  Metro Bus Tickets for single use rides will also be available.

Sobering Center Staff:

• Emergency Medical Technicians – licensed by WA State to provide emergent care to individuals.
• Case Manager - trained in Motivational Interviewing and how to access the broader social service system to gain supports for individuals in need.  This individual is also credentialed by WA Department of Health as a Chemical Dependency Professional. 

Emergency Service Patrol Drivers

• Trained to give assistance in the streets and in other public places to persons who are intoxicated. All drivers are trained in first aid and are able to provide assistance in emergency situations. Drivers may transport intoxicated persons to community locations.

Medical Clinic

• Qualified Medical Personnel

Behavioral Health Services

• Mental Health Professionals
• Chemical Dependency Professionals

King County will contract with Pioneer Human Services to provide Sobering Center services. King County employees staff the Emergency Services Patrol (ESP) vans that provide transportation and assistance to people on the streets who are inebriated or incapacitated due to behavioral health issues. A medical clinic will be established onsite by Harborview Medical Center and behavioral health services will be provided by CPC.

Adults with behavioral health issues and people who are homeless may access sobering center services. Any community member may access behavioral health or medical clinic services.

For all guests, it is a safe place to sleep off intoxication. Staying on the streets, particularly in severe weather, can be very dangerous as it leaves them vulnerable to crime, hyperthermia or severe illness. At the Sobering Center, they can access a wide range of services to address immediate health and safety issues, and get referrals to community treatment services, counseling, employment or housing. Sobering Center guests will also have the chance to shower and access laundry services. Sobering Center staff will assist with assessing nutritional needs. Behavioral health treatment and medical clinic will be new services added to the new location of the Sobering Center.

Yes, clients can walk in and ask for help.

A detox center provides effective detoxification programs and methods to assist those who suffer from drug or alcohol addiction in finding the strength to make their way through the withdrawal symptoms.

A sobering center provides a safe environment for publicly intoxicated individuals to sober up and, when appropriate, initiate recovery. It aims to enhance public health and public safety by providing an alternative to the streets, emergency rooms and jail.

This is a sobering center. Detox tends to involve a longer stay and uses medical staff and medications.

Sobering services are available to adults age 18 and over.

The ESP van picks up people who are incapacitated due to severe substance use and once they have sobered up enough to be engaged, staff attempts to bring them into services and discuss an individualized care plan developed as a product of case management. Case managers have been trained to look for signs and symptoms of major mental illness and to try to direct those individuals into mental health treatment.

There is no set release time. People may be released at any time – to go to an inpatient treatment facility, to go to work or to go home, if they have one. They may leave to go to a shelter, job training, library or a day shelter. The Sobering Center is completely voluntary, so any client can leave when s/he wants to leave. Transportation in some form will be offered, however, the client is not required to take it or to tell staff where they are going.

Capacity at any one time staying in the Sobering Center is 60 people.

The service never closes for new admissions; when the 61st person arrives at the door, someone in the original 60 is discharged. This might be a person who has been on site the longest, has housing or can access other shelter options. ESP will transport these people to the next service location.

The Sobering Center served 1,726 people in 2017 (2018 data is not yet available).

King County would like more dialogue with the community on this. All Sobering Center staff are trained in de-escalation techniques and work hard to minimize disruptions on site. The goal is to keep people safely using services and not turn them out into the community. King County is also committed to being good part of the community and to contributing to efforts on overall community safety. This is an area where King County will seek additional community input and can change or adjust plans or approaches in partnership with the community.

Community Psychiatric Clinic (CPC) is the owner of the building where the current Sobering Center is located and the purchaser of the building in Georgetown that is proposed as the new location. CPC is a long-time provider of behavioral health services and supportive housing in the region.

Pioneer Human Services has been the operator of the Sobering Center since 1999. The agency was again selected in 2008 through a competitive Request for Proposal process, which is the process whereby the County asks interested community agencies to formally submit proposals to provide services that are evaluated and scored, after which a contract is awarded.

The Sobering Center and the ESP vans are jointly funded by King County and the City of Seattle (approx. $4 million/year). Harborview medical clinic services will be funded by Medicaid, Medicare and other Federal funding. CPC behavioral health services will be funded by Medicaid and Medicare.

King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD), part of the Department of Community and Human Services, holds the majority of the contracts for the facility services. ESP drivers are BHRD staff. Public Health-Seattle & King County will oversee the onsite medical clinic.

King County is not a subject matter expert in answering this question, however, per the Housing & Community Developer consultant on this project from Catholic Housing Services of Western Washington it is unknown if the seller is using a 1031 Exchange. Community Psychiatric Clinic is not subject to a capital gains tax as a 501(c)3, and would have no advantage in doing a 1031 Exchange. The gains from the sale of the current Sobering Center building are being reinvested in the relocated Sobering Center and an affordable housing building.

King County is not a subject matter expert in answering this question, however, the Housing & Community Developer consultant on this project from Catholic Housing Services of Western Washington indicates that there is no advantage to the current owner selling to a nonprofit. Any other tax benefits the seller may be receiving would be the same no matter who was purchasing the building.