### Meeting Overview The Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee met on January 13, 2025, to receive a briefing on a groundbreaking partnership with the Swinomish Tribe to bring mobile opioid treatment services to Bellingham. The committee learned about plans for two million-dollar mobile medical units that will provide medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction at a new location on Division Street. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT):** Medical treatment for opioid addiction using FDA-approved medications like suboxone and methadone combined with counseling and behavioral therapies. **Didgwálič Wellness Center:** The Swinomish Tribe's opioid treatment center in Anacortes, opened in 2017, considered a national model for addiction treatment with wrap-around services. **Opioid Treatment Program (OTP):** A specialized medical program regulated by the DEA that can dispense controlled medications like methadone for opioid addiction treatment. **Trauma-Informed Care:** An approach that recognizes and responds to the impact of traumatic stress on patients, emphasizing physical and emotional safety. **Wrap-Around Services:** Comprehensive support services that address multiple needs like transportation, childcare, mental health, and other barriers to treatment. **Crisis Stabilization Center:** A facility that provides short-term crisis intervention services, located adjacent to where the mobile units will operate. **Behavioral Health Campus:** An emerging concept in Bellingham where multiple mental health and substance use services are co-located on Division Street. **WTA Route 48:** A Whatcom Transportation Authority bus route that could potentially provide transportation access to the treatment site. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Daniel Hammill | Committee Chair, Third Ward Council Member | | Edwin "Skip" Williams | Committee Member, Fourth Ward Council Member | | Michael Lilliquist | Committee Member, Sixth Ward Council Member | | Malora Christensen | Whatcom County Health Response Systems Manager | | Dr. Bryce Parent | Chief Medical Officer, Didgwálič Wellness Center | | Erik Ostergaard | SUD Clinical Supervisor, Didgwálič Wellness Center | | Mayor Kim Lund | Bellingham Mayor (attended as observer) | | Hannah Stone | Council Member (attended as observer) | ### Background Context This initiative represents a significant expansion of opioid treatment services in Whatcom County through an unprecedented partnership between local governments and the Swinomish Tribe. The partnership emerged from discussions about alternatives to criminalizing public drug use, reflecting a shift toward treating addiction as a public health issue rather than solely a criminal justice matter. The Swinomish Tribe's Didgwálič Wellness Center has operated successfully since 2017, serving both tribal and non-tribal patients with a model that addresses the whole person and family system. The location at 2028 Division Street is strategically chosen to create a "behavioral health campus" alongside existing crisis services, maximizing coordination and efficiency of care. This represents a major investment by the Swinomish Tribe, with two mobile units valued at approximately $1 million total and dozens of staff members committed to serving up to 400 patients. ### What Happened — The Short Version Malora Christensen briefed the committee on plans for the Swinomish Tribe to operate mobile opioid treatment services in Bellingham starting in February 2025. Two 34-foot mobile medical units will travel daily from Anacortes to 2028 Division Street to dispense life-saving medications like suboxone and methadone to up to 400 patients. The units will operate Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 12:30 PM, with additional counseling and support services provided in an adjacent clinic space. Committee members expressed strong support and gratitude for the tribe's generosity, while also discussing transportation challenges and solutions. The Whatcom County Council was scheduled to approve the lease the following day, with a soft opening planned for early February. ### What to Watch Next • Whatcom County Council lease approval on January 15th • Soft opening of mobile treatment services in early February 2025 • Community outreach and neighbor notification efforts in the Irongate area • Development of transportation solutions, potentially including expanded WTA bus service • Progress on the broader "behavioral health campus" concept with co-located services ---