Compassionate Addiction Treatment

Our team that provides outpatient treatment services have been heading out to nature with our program participants to connect with each other and work on recovery goals. Getting outside of downtown and out into nature provides time to decompress and explore recovery in impactful ways. We're always so grateful for the opportunities that summer weather provides.

As part of CoolSpokane, Compassionate Addiction Treatment hands out water and supplies to help folks who are exposed to the outdoor temperatures. We work mostly handing out supplies to people experiencing homelessness. The temperatures have been extreme, and continue to be so. We're here to help support folks maintain their health.

We also keep water stocked for outreach workers comprised of mutual aid groups, small nonprofits, and volunteers.

We want to thank all the mutual aid groups, organizations and volunteers that help keep this effort going year after year.

To keep water and supplies on hand, grants have been received. Thank you to Empire Health Foundation and Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund, A Charitable Foundation for continuing to support this important effort.

If you'd like to join us all in this important work, please use the QR code in the pic attached to this post. It's work that truly saves lives!

Founded in 2019, Compassionate Addiction Treatment has walked in the Pride parade each year. We're excited to be there again this year, celebrating our 2SLGBTQIA+ team and recovery community members. We are diverse, and love to support and empower each other and our Spokane community! If you would like to walk with us, please reply in the comments, so we have an idea of how many shirts we need.

This past week we've had the priveledge to work along side six people who are experiencing life changing moments.

Through collaboration with our housing and employment case managers, FOUR people are moving into their own apartments, one person moved into a transitional housing program, and one person entered into employment.

These are moments that we celebrate, and would love to have you celebrate with us these six extraordinary people. We are so excited for them, and the new journeys they are on as they exit their experience with homelessness (or take the next step with employment!) and have the opportunity to close a door at night, gaining a sense of safety and security.

The way in which we build community through compassion and connection is at the heart of our work. Staying in a state of mindfulness, kindness, and embracing our common humanity are core components to building a strong community. This is also the steps needed to humanize all of us who live within our community. We are so grateful for all who join us in this understanding and put these concepts into action.

"The piece on sameness being the near enemy of common humanity is SO important!

“Some people say, ‘Can’t we just stop talking about our differences and focus instead on the fact that we are all human beings?’ This is the assumption of sameness and is a near enemy of common humanity because it disregards and marginalizes the experiences of others.

Fierce compassion includes the courage to have difficult conversations about our differences based on race, ethnicity, ability, gender, sexual orientation and a multitude of other identities."

Brené Brown

Compassionate Addiction Treatment will be closed Friday, April 5, 2024 for a Team Training, and Team Care day.

Thank you community!

Our team is seekinga volunteer medical provider for our low barrier walkin Burprenorphine (Suboxone) clinic. If you're looking for a rewarding volunteer opportunity and have an active, or retired active license as an MD, ARNP, or PA, please reach out to us via [email protected].

Compassionate Addiction Treatment is part of the Volunteer and Retired Providers Program through Washington State Department of Health.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Home - CAT SPOKANE Compassionate Addiction Treatment Compassionate Addiction Treatment welcomes all into our supportive Recovery Community. In addition to this innovative peer led day program, wrap around services for substance use disorder treatment are provided to holistically support each individual to build the life they dream of.

Our team responds to overdoses frequently, providing narcan and life saving measures. It was recently reported by that the Spokane Fire Department, by Justin de Ruyter, that the SFD is receiving an average of six overdose calls per day.

To help our community, we have put together some information about fentanyl, as well as steps to respond to an overdose.

Please share this information to help our community in this time of crisis.

Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/index.html
https://www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness
https://stopoverdose.org/
https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/spokane-drug-overdoses-2024-data/293-d15d5a78-c8c0-4d1c-8e0a-aaf0bde9dd54

Yesterday we had a team day for folks that work in programs at our main building. Our focus was on re-energizing and having fun. We asked our team to arrive dressed in outfits from the 70's and 80's, then separated everyone into three teams to complete a selfie scavenger hunt. The work our team does is heavy, every day, and some fun was needed to help folks reconnect with joy within our work.

We need your help choosing the winning photos in some of the scavenger hunt categories. Please check out our photos, and vote for your favorites. We'll be awarding prizes to the winning teams.

***this will be easiest to tally if you vote as a response to the photo rather than on the main post.

Some of these folks are competative, so don't be surprised if they head out onto social media advocating for themselves with friends, family members, previous coworkers, foks they went to kindergarten with... 😄

A quick reminder for our community: CAT Spokane is closed today for a team day.

We’re coming together to process, connect, and restore. This is one of the ways that we take time and reenergize, to continue this important work.

We’ll be back on Monday!

Tonight is the last night that the Cannon Street Emergency Shelter will be open. Please share this out to people experiencing homelessness so that they are aware.

It has been an honor and a priviledge to support our community in this way, operating an emergency warming shelter. Historically, CAT Spokane has provided this service within our own building, with the limitations that our building presents. Operating out of the Cannon Street Shelter, with showers, multiple bathrooms, and open spaces has been a positive experience.

Through this work, our team brought forward their lived experience in a powerful way.

We added eight new team members to do this work at the shelter for the duration of this contract. Four of these team members will be joing our team in other programs. Two of these team members formerly resided at Camp Hope and bring their lived experience to our work.

Thank you to our community for supporting us in this work! We couldn't have done it as well as we did without all of your support.

Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund, A Charitable Foundation, Empire Health Foundation, City of Spokane - Municipal Government, CoolSpokane, Yoyot Sp'q'n'i, MAC Movement, Transitions, Jewels Helping Hands, The Salvation Army Spokane, CHAS Health

Some information about our Community Drug Testing program. This information is used to identify local drug supply, inform organization's response plans, and prevent overdose deaths.

Compassionate Addiction Treatment is part of the WA State Community Drug Checking Network (CDCN), providing community-level drug checking. This project is funded by the Washington State Health Care Authority, which contracted with Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI).

Spokane organization tests illicit drugs in hopes of saving lives SPOKANE, Wash. - There are many different illicit drugs available that, if combined, could be lethal.

Congratulations on your new home Cid! We're all rooting for you.

The Camp Hope project has shown us the value of having resources available to provide peer navigation and funding to support people in accessing housing. Our hope, as it is for so many, is that we, as a community, successfully end the experience of homelessness for our community members.

Thank you Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund, A Charitable Foundation for being a trusted foundation for folks to donate to, and doing the heavy lift of shopping. Thank you to these compassionate anonymous donors for the care you provide to our community through your donations. ❤️

As a team we were brainstorming recently, how to attract Substance Use Disorder Professionals that are as passionate about our mission as our team is. As a team, we realized we have incredibly gifted counselors working as Certified Peer Counselors. We created a new program, supporting our Certified Peer Counselors in attending college to become Substance Use Disorder Professionals.

The first step in this process is to enter a college addiction studies program. The second step is to get your license as a Substance Use Disorder Counselor Trainee (SUDP-T) This week Nichole Mitchell's SUDP-T license went active on the Washington State Department of Behavioral Health's website.

Congratulations Nichole Mitchell!!!! We are so excited to have you in this role. Thank you for making the decision to return to college. We know that as a mom this added responsibility adds to the complexity of your life, and are so grateful to you for entering into this work.

We, your team, are here to support you and lift you up as you walk this new journey.

IMPORTANT CANNON STREET SHELTER INFORMATION:

We now have two phone numbers dedicated to the Cannon Street Shelter. These phones are answered between 7pm and 7am, while staff are on site. The numbers are:

509-530-8394

509-514-5257

Transitions, thank you for welcoming us in to work in your New Leaf kitchen, preparing meals for the Cannon Street Warming Center!

There are so many community thank you's to say for the support we and our community members experiencing homelessness received while the emergency warming center was open (it's now a night by night shelter until March 1). One thank you is to Legacy Church and their group Second Sundays for bringing and serving lunch in the parking lot of the Cannon Street Shelter. They have an extraordinary setup and were compassionate and supportive to all the folks that they served.

Thank you Second Sundays for helping us all do this important work!

This last week has been a week of beautiful moments, and some really, really heartbreaking losses.

Earlier this week an elderly man staying with us at the Cannon Street Shelter passed away from natural causes. Living without a home ages a person so much more quickly than when living in a home. We are so saddened by his passing. There aren't words to express the grief for the loss of this really kind, caring person.

Last night our team was notified that someone outside had overdosed. Our team responded by administering narcan - five narcan - while waiting for emergency services to arrive. Despite our teams response, and the response of emergency services, this person did not make it. Our hearts go out to his girlfriend who is grieving the loss of her person.

We are so saddened by these losses, and want their friends, families , all loved ones to know that both men were surrounded by caring people at the time of their passing. By people that saw each person as someones son, brother, possibly a father, a significant other - we are grieving with you, and want you to know that in those last moments, each man was with a team of people who saw each man as a unique and special human being who's life matters.

A heavy awareness:

"Death is a dear friend of the homeless, he has helped more people off the streets than any charity; sometimes it’s the only way off the streets." - Elby James

This is something we as a community can change. We can blame addiction, "choices", a variety of things, OR, we can look at the root causes of homelessness and there is where we can create change.

Lack of affordable housing
Poverty
Racial inequality
Domestic violence

Once in a home, people then have the opportunity to address their physical health, mental health, substance use, and other challenges in the same manner those of us that have a home do, because if we're being honest, so many of us face one, two, or all of these difficulties at some point in our lives.

We stand with love and solidarity with our community members currently experiencing homelessness.

Seven people who previously resided at Camp Hope have joined the team at Compassionate Addiction Treatment. They represent 15% of our team. The first people to join us from Camp Hope have been with us since May, 2023. These people are valued, talented members of our team.

Today was Spokane Homeless Connect. We had a great time meeting new people and old friends. Our team wanted to create fun, and provide something meaningful. This resulted in a trivia game with a watch as the ultimate prize- 100 people could win the big prize.

We never stop remembering what it’s like to experience homelessness and the many challenges this brings. Spokane Connect is so important. We’re happy to have been a Bronze sponsor this year.

A peek into the Cannon Street Shelter with some of our shelter team members. We are so fortunate to have Bobbie Lee to train our newest team members in this work, and to have so many caring people to do this work.

Compassionate Addiction Treatment has continued to operate the Cannon Street Shelter, partnering with the city to provide night by night low barrier shelter beds. Adult women, men, and couples are welcome.

Team members have been hired, all with lived experience, with some team members currently experiencing homelessness. As a By and For organization, this is important to our work. We understand the challenges faced while experiencing homelessness.

The past few weeks have been filled with incredible moments of collaboration with CoolSpokane, Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund, A Charitable Foundation, Empire Health Foundation, and so many more nonprofits, mutual aid, community members and churches!

Settling into this work, our community members and team are collaborating together, creating a welcoming space for dinner, showers, rest, and breakfast. This truly is community.

Hi Community!

As a community, you have helped us do this work, keeping people warm, dry, safe, and fed good meals! Warm bedding, shower supplies, snacks, monetary donations, and volunteers have empowered us to do this work. YOU helped make this happen!

The 24 hour a day warming center at the Cannon Street shelter location closes Saturday at 8am. We are in need of volunteers to help us make it to this finish line!

You can sign up using this online form:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DADAE2CAAF9C16-47179359-catwarming #/

We have more announcements to come regarding the continuation of the shelter as a night by night shelter location - STAFFED. Stay tuned for positive news!

CoolSpokane

Come chat with us, join us in a game, and have some fun! Some of our Certified Peer Counselors (people with lived experience) will be there. Useful and fun things will be happening. :)

We will see you there!

Make sure to mark your calendars for the 12th annual Spokane Homeless Connect!

We’ll be at the Spokane Convention & Expo Center on Thursday, January 25th, 2024 from 10am to 3pm with all of our usual services, including:

*Free food & clothing banks
*Free haircuts
*Free warrant quashing assistance
*Free hot meal
*Free pet care

Along with access to so many other services!

***

Spokane Homeless Connect
Thursday, January 25, 2024
10am - 3pm

Spokane Convention & Expo Center
202 W Spokane Falls Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99201

The Connect is made possible by our wonderful sponsors, including Better Health Together, DentistLink, and Molina Healthcare.

Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

He walked his talk, and stood in the face of grave danger. He inspired many. His life and his words continue to inspire, and are as important today as they were in the time that he said them. The journey towards equality and racial justice continues.

We stand with our BIPOC friends and community members.

Hello Community! We are well covered for volunteers through to 8am tomorrow morning.

For tomorrow (Tuesday) we are in need of volunteers from 8am - 12pm, and then from 4pm - 4am.

Beginning Wednesday morning at 8am we are in need of volunteers throughout to 8am Friday.

The volunteer sign up link is at:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DADAE2CAAF9C16-47179359-catwarming #/

Our Volunteer Shelter Manual can be found at

bit.ly/CoolSpokane

The manual was written for our location on Division Street. We will be working today to update the manual so that it is more relevant to our location at the Cannon Street Shelter. These changes will be reflected later on tonight. The spirit of the manual is still the same. The locations to monitor have changed, so the updates will be minimal.

CoolSpokane has been doing an incredible job updating information and is an excellent resource to use.

This week has been extraordinary! CAT began Thursday as an emergency warming center during this extreme cold weather. Our plan was to keep 45 people overnight for warmth and safety. By Friday midday over 140 people had found their way to CAT, seeking warmth.

We reached out to City of Spokane sharing the extreme need we were facing. By afternoon our team had access to the Cannon Street Shelter. We immediately began moving folks over, as our building was overcrowded and at that time, not enough shelter beds existed. By 7pm, we had moved most people. 15 people (overnight became 40) continued to stay at our primary building, other folks were navigated to other shelter locations, and 79 people were now at the Cannon Street Shelter.

People continued to show up at the shelter, and at CAT. Saturday we worked to navigate people into new beds that were made available in our shelter system. This process took a lot of effort, but we got it done! We closed down our warming center at CAT and focused our teams efforts at the Cannon Street Shelter. We had a LOT to figure out.

We had the keys, a, building, and lots of folks staying at the shelter - and a lot to get worked out to maintain health and safety. We reached out to the city on Saturday to see about cots, mats, and a dumpster. By mid day all of these things were delivered! The city also provided security through Phoenix Protective Corporation for our shelter and the area surrounding us.

We continued to experience a high level of need, and reopened CAT Saturday night for 20 people to have a place to stay warm. Sunday morning we navigated folks again, and closed our S Division building down angain.

Throughout this time CoolSpokane, CHAS Health, Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund, A Charitable Foundation, Jewels Helping Hands, , community partners, health care providers, organizations, volunteers, and community members were donating, dropping off, volunteering, and helping us move this important work forward.

As of this morning, less than 48 hours after receiving the building keys, the Cannon Street Shelter is running smoothly. We have developed a process to deep clean the building each day, manage belongings, and daily checkin process to help maintain the shelter, and collect much needed data.

We are grateful for our team members Bobbie Lee Silva, Kel Eddings, Avery, Board President, Tanya Riordan, and others have experience in operating a shelter. This has empowered us to successfully step into this work.

We have so many organizations and people to thank. If we miss anyone, please let us know.

Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund, A Charitable Foundation for purchasing many needed items and food, and delivering not only what you've provided, but also dropping off donations from others.

CHAS Health for sending your Mobile and Street Medic team to volunteer, and provide healthcare for the folks we're serving. Stephanie Ullah - thank you for bringing your shelter expertise with you and sharing it with us all!

Jewels Helping Hands for delivering hundred+++ blankets and sandwhiches, and more. Also for providing transportation to shelters operated by your team so that we could decrease the number of folks being served at this location.

Empire Health Foundation for donating to support this work.

CoolSpokane for always being there, collaborating, providing volunteers, donating, getting the word out, and being just plain amazing team members - rocks! This group is filled with amazing people and organizations including CAT, Yoyot Sp'q'n'i, MAC Movement, Human Rights Activist Coterie of Spokane, and more. Peer Spokane, thank you for volunteering with us through Cool Spokane!

MAC Movement for providing volunteers, and really good pep talks! Your positivity (Crystal) always shines through!

Yoyot Sp'q'n'i for sending volunteers, helping wherever help is needed, advocating, helping relocate folks from CAT to Cannon, finding someone to take the overflow of garbage, allowing us to keep on filling the dumpster!

City of Spokane, thank you for stepping in, letting us use the Cannon Street Shelter, providing mats and cots, a dumpster, security, and for believing in us!

Everyone who has helped, whether through volunteering, donating, serving food, sending good vibes and compassion, sharing posts - all the many incredible things our community does, thank you!

This work isn't done, but it's in motion. As a community we are caring for all - we're all in this together. Every person deserves warmth, safety, access to restrooms, showers, food, and to be part of a community.