City Council Approves Resolution to Provide Funding for Northeast Spokane Behavioral Health Clinic!

The old Hillyard Library, adjacent to the Northeast Community Center, has been sitting empty since the new Library opened in September 2021. Residents and partner organizations have come together with the Community Center and MultiCare to dream big and put together plans to transform this space into a Community Behavioral Health Clinic!

On February 28th, Spokane City Council members voted unanimously to approve a resolution to allocate $500,000 in funds to renovate this space so that tens of thousands of children, youth, and adults can receive much-needed health care as early as 2023! Currently, State Legislators in Olympia are considering an additional $700,000 in capital funds to help make this project a reality!

This new clinic will connect residents to much-needed mental health services and help reduce health disparities in our community. Research shows that the known gap in mental health services for low-income families is only increasing at a time when community-wide demand for these same services is dramatically increasing. Support of this project, leveraging state and private dollars, will not only help meet existing unmet needs but also help our community address worsening substance abuse and behavioral health problems because of the ongoing pandemic. The location of this clinic, adjacent to social, health, and educational facilities will allow children, youth, and adults to easily take advantage of behavioral health and wraparound supports. Read more about how this clinic and The Northeast Community Center at large can serve as a nationwide best practice for community health care.