Bridge Coalition Meeting September 22nd
Opening Comments (Sarah):
- Introductions via chat were done
- A broad overview of NorthStar Advocates Mission and purpose was discussed,
- Focusing on return to community: safe housing, relationships, and supporting young adults facing unaccompanied homelessness interests and passions.
The Bridge Scope and Vision (Mayauna):
- High rate of return to homelessness for young people exiting inpatient care,
- Cross-system information sharing and training,
- Developing Return To Community Plan,
- Developing opportunities for systems reform.
- Introduced the Youth & Young Adult Behavioral Health Summit that NorthStar Advocates hosted with the Y4Y Board
SHB 1929 Bridge Housing Updates
Friends of Youth – Bridge Pointe: Westside SHB 1929 Bridge Housing Program
Blanca Gonzales with Friends of Youth provided an update on continued implementation of the Bridge Pointe program and shared that the program is currently operating at full capacity, with eight young adults being served.
There is currently a waitlist for the remaining two spaces, with the intake and transition process generally taking approximately one to two weeks.
One particularly positive development has been an increase in earlier coordination with inpatient providers. Inpatient programs are beginning to contact Bridge Pointe earlier and initiate the referral process from the beginning rather than waiting until a young person is approaching discharge.
This earlier engagement is an important component of the Bridge Housing model because it creates more time to coordinate housing, treatment, services, and other supports before a young person exits inpatient care.
Young adults participating in Bridge Pointe are also engaging in Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) and Outpatient Programs (OP) as part of their ongoing recovery and transition back into community.
Friends of Youth reported continued success utilizing the Return to Community approach to support individualized transition planning and continuity of care.
The program has also approved its first extension beyond the standard Bridge Housing timeframe, reflecting the importance of flexibility and individualized decision-making when a young person’s transition needs additional time.
Excelsior Wellness – LifePoint Bridge Housing
Dylan Ramirez provided updates on Excelsior Wellness’ SHB 1929 Bridge Housing program in Spokane.
The program currently has availability and openings, and staff continue working to strengthen connections with inpatient behavioral health providers and other community resources to increase appropriate referrals.
Dylan also discussed the impact of the recent regional fires on program operations and participants, including the need to navigate evacuation procedures and the resulting disruption in care.
The experience highlighted the importance of adaptability within transitional housing and behavioral health programs. Maintaining continuity of care during emergencies requires programs to respond quickly while continuing to support young adults whose housing, behavioral health care, routines, and community connections may already be in transition.
The team continues to focus on adaptability, continuity, and supporting young adults through transitions while strengthening connections with inpatient behavioral health providers and other regional resources.
Featured Presentation: Camas Health Recovery Center
Presenter: Troy Criss, Outreach Coordinator, Camas Health Recovery Center
Troy Criss provided an in-depth overview of Camas Health Recovery Center, including the organization’s vision and mission, the Kalispel Tribe’s leadership in developing the program, current treatment and recovery services, efforts to remove barriers to care, and plans for continued expansion in the Spokane region.
Troy also shared some of his own lived experience, including that he has been in recovery for seven years. Having grown up in a rural community and later coming to Spokane, he discussed how meaningful it has been for him to help other people access treatment, recovery, and community support.
Camas Health Recovery Center: Vision
Camas Health Recovery Center’s vision is to be a place of hope for people and families in recovery by offering the community a whole-person, patient-centered place of care rooted in hospitality and compassion for all people and the broader community.
The longer-term vision extends beyond treating substance use disorder alone. Camas and the Kalispel Tribe envision continuing to build a model of whole-person wellness that can serve people from all walks of life.
Mission
Camas Health Recovery Center’s mission is to inspire hope as a pathway to healing.
The center serves people and their families seeking treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Through a personalized model of care, Camas provides individualized services intended to enrich the well-being of each community member who comes to the organization for help.
A consistent theme throughout Troy’s presentation was that treatment should be built around the individual. Care plans, treatment goals, medication decisions, and recovery supports should reflect each person’s needs and their unique plan for recovery.
Community-Minded: The Kalispel Tribe’s Vision
Camas Health Recovery Center grew from a vision of the Kalispel Tribe of Indians to bring compassionate, whole-person care to individuals experiencing substance use disorders.
The initiative was championed by Chairman Glen Nenema and Tribal leadership, who recognized significant regional gaps in access to care, particularly substance use disorder treatment.
Rather than developing a service intended exclusively for Tribal members, the Kalispel Tribe approached the need as a broader community issue. Camas Health Recovery Center is open to and serves the wider community.
The Kalispel Tribe partnered with Indigenous PACT to help bring this vision to life. Indigenous PACT provides executive infrastructure, oversight, and leadership intended to support the program’s long-term sustainability and success.
The model reflects the Kalispel Tribe’s emphasis on hospitality, compassion, and caring for others while addressing significant gaps in addiction treatment throughout the region.
Member Services
Camas Health Recovery Center provides a broad range of treatment, behavioral health, recovery, and practical supports. Services highlighted during the presentation included:
- Medical Providers
- Mental Health Resources
- SUDP Counselors
- Peer Support Specialists
- Counseling & Peer Support Groups
- Transportation
- Contingency Management
Troy discussed the importance of peer support as part of the recovery process, as well as counseling and support groups. Camas offers multiple opportunities for group participation, including supports addressing areas such as parenting.
The program also connects individuals with mental health resources, including contracted mental health providers who can provide services virtually. This allows behavioral health needs to be addressed alongside onsite substance use disorder treatment and recovery supports.
Removing Barriers to Care
Removing barriers to treatment was one of the central themes of Troy’s presentation.
Camas has intentionally developed multiple ways for people to access and remain engaged in treatment rather than expecting every individual to successfully navigate a traditional clinic-based model.
These strategies include individualized medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), transportation, a mobile clinic, and direct medication delivery to treatment facilities.
Individualized MOUD Treatment
Camas develops customized medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment plans that consider each individual’s needs and goals and tailor treatment to that person’s unique recovery plan.
Camas provides all three FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder:
- Methadone
- Buprenorphine, including Suboxone and Sublocade
- Naltrexone, including Vivitrol
Troy discussed the significant role methadone currently plays in the population Camas serves and emphasized that medical providers work with each individual to determine the medication and treatment approach that best meets their needs.
Rather than approaching recovery through a single pathway, the model allows treatment to be individualized around the person.
Transportation: More Than 150 Individuals Each Day
Transportation is another significant barrier Camas has worked to address directly.
Camas is currently transporting more than 150 individuals every day from more than a dozen pickup and drop-off locations throughout the Greater Spokane area.
For individuals receiving medications such as methadone that may require frequent clinic access, reliable transportation can directly affect whether someone is able to consistently participate in treatment.
By providing transportation, Camas is addressing a practical barrier that might otherwise prevent individuals from maintaining access to medication and recovery services.
Mobile Clinic and Downtown Access
Camas also operates a mobile clinic, providing another option for individuals who are unable to attend the Airway Heights clinic in person.
The mobile unit currently operates from the downtown Spokane location, bringing services closer to people who may otherwise experience transportation, geographic, or other barriers to accessing treatment.
This approach reflects the larger philosophy discussed throughout the presentation: meeting people where they are and designing services around real-world barriers to care.
Medication Delivery to Treatment Facilities
Camas has also developed a medication delivery model to support continuity of care for individuals receiving services in other treatment settings.
The program currently delivers medication to 14+ treatment facilities throughout the Greater Spokane area.
Troy discussed how important this can be for individuals receiving inpatient or residential treatment. Rather than requiring someone to leave their inpatient facility to travel to a Camas location for medication, Camas can bring the medication directly to the treatment facility.
This helps individuals continue their medication while participating in another level of treatment and reduces unnecessary disruptions in care.
Contingency Management
Contingency Management is also included among Camas Health Recovery Center’s member services and represents another component of the program’s broader strategy for supporting treatment engagement and recovery.
Together, these services demonstrate an intentional effort to identify barriers that may interfere with recovery and develop practical ways to reduce them.
Camas Health Recovery Center Locations & Hours
Camas currently provides services through its Airway Heights clinic and its Downtown/Mobile Unit.
Airway Heights
10811 W. 6th Ave.
Airway Heights, WA 99001
Hours:
- Monday–Friday: 6:30 AM–5:00 PM
- Dosing Hours: 6:30 AM–4:00 PM
- Saturday: 8:00 AM–11:00 AM
- Sunday: Closed
Downtown / Mobile Unit
19 W. Pacific Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201
Hours:
- Monday–Friday: 7:00 AM–1:00 PM
- Dosing Hours: 7:00 AM–1:00 PM
- Saturday–Sunday: Closed
Future Operations & Expansion
Troy concluded with an overview of the Kalispel Tribe’s vision for expanding Camas Health Recovery Center and increasing access to care across the region.
The long-term vision includes developing a whole-person wellness program for people from all walks of life, building upon the substance use disorder treatment and recovery infrastructure already in place.
Several expansion projects are underway or planned:
- Construction of the Downtown clinic is anticipated to be completed in early November 2026.
- Construction and remodeling of the Brick Annex Building is anticipated to be completed in Spring 2027.
- Camas is considering relocating the mobile unit once the permanent downtown clinic is operational, with future placement informed by where the largest remaining gap in geographic coverage exists.
Featured Presentation: TeamChild Youth Action Coalition (YAC)
Presenters: Porsche Phelps- Community Engagement Manager & Gisella & Lola, Youth Action Coalition Members
Gisella and Lola, both members of TeamChild’s Youth Action Coalition with lived experience navigating youth-serving systems, joined the Coalition to share their experiences and discuss TeamChild’s youth-centered advocacy model.
Their presentation highlighted not only TeamChild’s legal and policy work, but the importance of creating meaningful opportunities for young people who have experienced these systems to participate directly in changing them.
About TeamChild
TeamChild has worked with young people in Washington for approximately 30 years and provides free civil legal advocacy for youth and young adults navigating systems that can significantly affect their lives. TeamChild’s work includes legal advocacy related to education, healthcare and mental health, housing, juvenile rehabilitation, and the intersections of the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.
This work can include:
- Special education and education rights
- School discipline
- Access to healthcare and mental health services
- Stable housing
- Juvenile rehabilitation and reintegration
- Legal barriers affecting young people’s ability to successfully transition into adulthood
Alongside direct legal services, TeamChild conducts policy and systems advocacy intended to address larger structural barriers affecting young people.
TeamChild’s Youth Action Coalition
The Youth Action Coalition (YAC) is a youth-led advocacy group that brings together young people with lived experience in systems including:
- Juvenile legal systems
- Homelessness
- Foster care
- Special education
- School discipline
- Disability
- Inpatient mental health treatment
- Other youth-serving systems
TeamChild describes YAC as a collective of youth and young adults from across Washington who use lived experience and expertise to create systems change through storytelling, community education, and policy reform.
The Coalition creates a platform for young people to understand their rights, participate in civic engagement, develop communication and advocacy skills, and influence policies that directly affect young people.
Gisella and Lola shared their own experiences and perspectives as lived-experience members of YAC
From Listening to Policy Change
The YAC model has evolved over time. Earlier iterations involved a smaller group of approximately four young people, while the current model has transitioned into a broader Youth Action Coalition.
The work remains intentionally youth-centered.
Listening sessions provide opportunities to identify what young people experiencing systems believe needs to change. Those conversations can then inform policy priorities and advocacy.
Young people also come into the Coalition with involvement in other nonprofit organizations and community efforts, creating opportunities to connect advocacy across issues and generations. Elders and others with lived experience can also contribute perspective and support.
Issues raised through this work include:
- Youth homelessness
- Juvenile justice
- The school-to-prison pipeline
- Education
- Foster care
- Behavioral and mental health
- Disability
- Housing stability
YAC members also collaborate with other organizations and advocacy groups around shared policy priorities.
Building Youth Advocacy and Civic Engagement Skills
A significant component of YAC is helping young people understand how systems and policymaking actually work.
Members learn about:
- Policy 101
- How laws are developed
- How to build relationships with policymakers
- Understanding laws that affect youth
- Education rights for young people under 18
- Civic engagement
- Communication and advocacy
- Using lived experience effectively in policy discussions
Once a year, members travel to Olympia to meet directly with lawmakers and advocate around issues affecting youth.
The group also comes together annually for a retreat, creating space for deeper relationship building, learning, and policy development.
Policy in Action: SSB 5911
One example discussed was SSB 5911, legislation addressing Social Security and other benefits belonging to young adults participating in Extended Foster Care.
The final legislation prohibits DCYF, beginning January 1, 2027, from using benefits, payments, funds, or accruals belonging to a person in Extended Foster Care as reimbursement for the cost of their care. It also establishes requirements for assisting eligible young adults with accessing and managing Social Security benefits.
This is an example of the type of policy issue where youth experience can help policymakers understand how seemingly administrative practices affect young people’s financial stability as they transition into adulthood.
Looking Toward the 2027 Legislative Session
YAC is already beginning to look toward the 2027 Washington legislative session and identify future priorities.
One emerging priority discussed during the presentation involves access to tablets for young people in the juvenile justice system.
The issue is rooted in communication and connection. Young people in juvenile facilities need meaningful ways to remain connected to home, family, community, resources, and other supports.
YAC members will continue developing their priorities as the upcoming legislative session approaches.
YAC Participation and Recruitment
The group meets twice each month, allowing members to develop relationships, learn about policy, identify priorities, and participate consistently in advocacy work.
The recruitment calendar is also shifting. TeamChild’s current public information says applications are expected to reopen in Spring 2027, which aligns with the presentation discussion about moving recruitment earlier in the year to better prepare members for legislative engagement.
Importantly, the relationships do not necessarily end when formal YAC participation does. Alumni continue to provide support to one another, creating an ongoing community among young people who have participated in the work.
Community Updates:
- No updates
Closing Comments:
- A reminder that the next meeting on October 27th.
Recent Comments