Bridge Coalition Meeting June 23rd
Opening Comments (Jim):
- 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
Coastal Community Action Program (Coastal CAP Connections): Presenter Allie Connor, Youth & Young Adult Program Specialist
Allie Connor from Coastal Community Action Program (Coastal CAP) provided an overview of the organization’s System of Care (SOC) program, which serves youth and young adults ages 13–24 across Grays Harbor, Pacific, Lewis, Thurston, and expanding into Clark County. Her presentation highlighted how Coastal CAP has built a flexible, relationship-centered model that addresses not only housing instability but also the many interconnected challenges young people face while transitioning into adulthood.
A Youth-Centered System of Care
Rather than operating a single housing program, Coastal CAP has developed a coordinated system that brings together housing assistance, care coordination, behavioral health connections, employment support, education, and life skills into one individualized plan. Every young person enters the program with different strengths, barriers, and goals, allowing staff to tailor services based on each individual’s unique needs rather than expecting participants to fit into a standardized program.
Youth may become eligible for services through a variety of pathways, including involvement with foster care, juvenile detention, adult corrections, homelessness, or other situations that place them at risk of housing instability. Throughout the presentation, Allie emphasized that the program focuses not only on helping youth secure housing but also on building the long-term supports necessary to maintain stability and independence.
Comprehensive Housing Resources
Allie shared that Coastal CAP operates a broad continuum of housing programs designed to meet young people wherever they are in their journey.
These include:
- Young Adult Transitional Housing
- Hope Center emergency shelter for youth ages 12–17
- Family shelter programs
- Permanent supportive housing
- Re-entry housing
- Motel voucher assistance for emergency placements
- Rental assistance and homelessness prevention funding
Rather than waiting until someone becomes homeless, Coastal CAP works proactively to prevent housing loss whenever possible by assisting with move-in costs, rental arrears, landlord communication, and stabilization services.
Addressing Rural Challenges Through Partnership
Serving largely rural communities presents unique challenges. Allie discussed the limited availability of behavioral health providers, affordable housing, transportation options, and employment opportunities throughout much of Coastal CAP’s service area.
Because resources can vary significantly from one county to another, collaboration has become one of the organization’s greatest strengths. Coastal CAP has intentionally developed strong partnerships with schools, behavioral health providers, juvenile justice agencies, housing organizations, and community partners to ensure youth receive coordinated support regardless of where they enter the system.
She noted that building relationships across systems has been essential to filling service gaps and improving outcomes for young people living in rural communities.
Early Intervention Through Juvenile Detention Partnerships
One particularly innovative aspect of Coastal CAP’s work is its partnership with the local juvenile detention center. Staff visit the facility weekly to begin working with youth before they are released back into the community.
These visits include life skills instruction, budgeting, cooking, employment readiness, conflict resolution, healthy relationship development, and transition planning. By beginning services while youth are still in detention, Coastal CAP is able to establish relationships early and reduce the risk of young people leaving custody without a plan or support system.
This proactive approach reflects the organization’s broader philosophy of intervening as early as possible to improve long-term stability.
Supporting Transitions After Behavioral Health Treatment
During discussion with Coalition members, Allie spoke about the challenges faced by young adults leaving inpatient behavioral health treatment, particularly within rural communities where housing options are often extremely limited.
When appropriate, Coastal CAP utilizes transitional housing, emergency motel vouchers, care coordination, and community partnerships to help bridge the gap between treatment and permanent housing. While housing resources remain limited, the organization continues to prioritize individualized planning and strong collaboration to ensure young people have the greatest opportunity for long-term success.
STARS (Spokane Treatment & Recovery Services): Presenter- Ryan Kent, Executive Director
Ryan Kent, Executive Director of STARS (Spokane Treatment & Recovery Services), shared the organization’s vision for creating a truly comprehensive continuum of care that meets individuals where they are and supports them through every stage of recovery. Throughout his presentation, Ryan emphasized flexibility, collaboration, and the importance of ensuring people are not lost during transitions between levels of care.
A Flexible, Community-Driven Continuum of Care
STARS is a co-occurring behavioral health treatment provider offering multiple levels of care, ranging from sobering services and withdrawal management to residential treatment, outpatient treatment, medication-assisted treatment, and recovery supports. Ryan explained that the organization’s philosophy is to continually adapt to the evolving needs of the Spokane community rather than operating within a rigid service model.
One example of this commitment is STARS’ purchase of the former Daybreak facility, which has allowed the organization to expand services, renovate existing space, and develop new programs. Ryan shared that STARS is currently adding another co-occurring residential level of care while continuing to grow its long-term vision for transitional housing and recovery support.
Throughout his presentation, Ryan emphasized that treatment is never “one size fits all.” Every individual enters recovery with different experiences, strengths, and barriers, and services must remain individualized to meet those unique needs.
Leading with People First
Ryan spoke openly about the importance of caring not only for clients but also for the staff who serve them every day. He acknowledged the emotional weight that behavioral health professionals carry and discussed STARS’ commitment to supporting employee well-being and preventing burnout.
As Executive Director, Ryan described his leadership philosophy as being deeply rooted in service rather than administration. While financial sustainability is necessary for any nonprofit organization, he emphasized that helping people recover and rebuild their lives remains the organization’s primary mission.
He also highlighted the importance of collaboration across the behavioral health and housing systems, noting that no single organization can solve these complex challenges alone.
Growing Financial Pressures on Behavioral Health Providers
Ryan shared several significant challenges currently facing behavioral health providers across Washington.
Among the most pressing are rapidly increasing operational costs, including health insurance premiums, liability insurance, medical provider insurance, and inflation. He explained that STARS has experienced substantial increases in employee health insurance costs over the past several years, creating difficult financial decisions for nonprofit providers that strive to offer competitive benefits while operating primarily through Medicaid reimbursement.
In addition to rising operating expenses, Ryan discussed ongoing challenges working with Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). He explained that providers often experience lengthy delays when attempting to negotiate reimbursement rates, add new services, or update contracts to reflect expanded programming.
One example involved the addition of peer support services. Although STARS has successfully integrated peer support into several programs, reimbursement rates have not kept pace with the expanded services being delivered. Ryan noted that communication with MCOs can be difficult and that improving collaboration between providers and payers would strengthen the overall behavioral health system.
Housing as a Critical Part of Recovery
One of the themes throughout Ryan’s presentation was the direct connection between housing and long-term recovery.
He described the frustration treatment providers experience when individuals successfully complete residential treatment, build a strong recovery foundation, and are then discharged without a safe place to live. Too often, providers watch months of hard work become jeopardized simply because stable housing is unavailable.
Ryan shared that learning more about Washington’s SHB 1929 Bridge Housing Program through the Bridge Coalition has been transformative for STARS. Since connecting with Excelsior Wellness, the organization has been able to successfully refer numerous eligible young adults into Bridge Housing, giving them a safe place to continue their recovery after treatment.
He specifically acknowledged the impact this has had on his clinical team, noting that Bridge Housing provides hope not only for participants but also for staff who have historically struggled to find appropriate housing options for young adults leaving treatment.
Ryan also observed that STARS is seeing an increasing number of young adults ages 18–24 entering treatment. While recovery can be incredibly challenging, he noted that many young people demonstrate genuine motivation to change. Having a guaranteed place to go after treatment often provides enough hope to help them remain engaged in services and continue working toward recovery.
Peer Support and Community Response
Ryan also highlighted the important role peer support and lived experience continue to play throughout STARS’ continuum of care. He discussed STARS’ involvement with the Car 50 program and the value of connecting individuals experiencing behavioral health or substance use crises with people who have lived experience in recovery.
Ryan shared that these connections can help build trust, foster hope, and strengthen engagement during some of the most vulnerable moments in a person’s recovery journey. Integrating lived experience alongside clinical services reinforces STARS’ commitment to providing compassionate, person-centered care while helping individuals navigate the next steps in their recovery.
Building a True Continuum of Care
Looking toward the future, Ryan shared his long-term vision of creating a seamless continuum of care where individuals can remain connected to one organization throughout multiple stages of recovery.
His vision includes a system where someone can enter STARS while actively intoxicated or in crisis, receive withdrawal management, transition into residential treatment, participate in outpatient services, engage with peer support, move into transitional housing, and ultimately achieve permanent housing and long-term recovery.
Ryan explained that too many people are currently lost during transitions between programs because services often operate independently of one another. Whether waiting several days for a residential bed or lacking stable housing after treatment, these gaps can lead to relapse despite significant progress.
His goal is to eliminate those gaps by creating a coordinated recovery pathway that supports individuals from their first interaction with the system all the way to long-term housing stability and independence.
Friends of Youth
Noehly Tzintzun, Director of Shelter Services with Friends Friends of Youth provided an update on the implementation of Washington’s Westside SHB 1929 Bridge Housing Program serving young adults ages 18–24 exiting inpatient behavioral health settings in Western Washington.
Program Growth and Increasing Referrals
The Friends of Youth team shared that referrals continue to grow as awareness of the program expands. They highlighted Sea Mar and Smokey Point Behavioral Hospital as two of their strongest referral partners, while also noting that Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) have increasingly begun referring eligible young adults directly into the program. This continued growth demonstrates the increasing recognition of Bridge Housing as an important resource for young adults transitioning from inpatient behavioral health care.
Building Community Beyond Housing
While housing remains the foundation of the program, Friends of Youth emphasized that successful transitions require much more than simply providing a place to stay. Staff have intentionally created a culture that encourages connection, independence, and personal growth.
Participants engage in a variety of life enrichment activities, educational workshops, volunteer opportunities, and community events designed to help build confidence and healthy routines while preparing for long-term independence.
One important lesson the team has learned is the significance of addressing participants’ free time. Feedback from young adults consistently identified feelings of being “bored” after leaving structured treatment environments. Rather than viewing this as a minor concern, Friends of Youth has worked collaboratively with participants to identify meaningful recreational activities, hobbies, and community engagement opportunities that support recovery while fostering social connection and purpose.
Supporting Education, Employment, and Independence
The program also places a strong emphasis on helping participants reconnect with education and employment opportunities as they transition back into the community.
Staff shared encouraging early success stories of young adults developing independent living skills, including learning to cook, contributing to household responsibilities, and helping build a positive community culture within the Bridge Housing program itself. These everyday experiences play an important role in preparing participants for long-term housing stability and independent living.
Excelsior Wellness
Dylan Ramirez, TAY Program Manager, from Excelsior Wellness provided an update on Eastern Washington’s implementation of the SHB 1929 Bridge Housing Program, highlighting the encouraging progress being made during the program’s early stages and the individualized support provided to each participant.
Individualized Success Stories
There are currently five young adults participating in the program, each working toward unique personal goals with individualized support plans.
One participant is currently preparing for family reunification, with staff coordinating additional community resources and outpatient behavioral health services to ensure a successful transition once they return home. Dylan emphasized that planning for long-term success begins immediately upon entry into the program.
As soon as participants arrive, staff work to connect them with a broad range of essential services, including primary medical care, dental care, behavioral health services, and other community resources, helping address both immediate and long-term needs.
Another participant entered the program and, within just one week, successfully graduated from school. Staff are now working alongside them to identify stable housing opportunities while supporting their transition toward greater independence.
Supporting Long-Term Stability
Dylan also shared encouraging employment outcomes, with two participants currently employed while continuing to work toward permanent housing and long-term recovery goals.
The program continues strengthening partnerships with organizations such as InReach to increase access to long-term housing opportunities and ensure participants remain connected to supportive services after leaving Bridge Housing.
In addition to housing partnerships, Excelsior collaborates with numerous community organizations to address employment, education, recreation, and overall quality of life. Participants have been connected with WorkSource, attended job fairs, and received assistance accessing community resources that promote independence.
Creating Opportunities for Meaningful Living
Dylan also shared several examples of the smaller but equally meaningful ways the program helps young adults reconnect with everyday life. Whether helping participants obtain fishing licenses, explore recreational opportunities, or simply introducing them to the many positive experiences available throughout Spokane, the goal is to help young adults rediscover purpose, build healthy routines, and create lasting connections within their community.
These experiences reinforce that recovery is about much more than housing, it is about helping young people develop fulfilling, independent lives where they feel connected to both their community and their future.
Community Updates:
- No updates
Closing Comments:
- A reminder that the next meeting on July 28th.
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