In the Spokane region — spanning from the city’s urban core to its neighboring rural towns — families, providers, first responders, and communities know how quickly a mental health or substance use crisis can unfold. The people living and working in Adams, Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Orielle, Spokane, and Stevens know and understand the daily impacts of how ITA is implemented. The Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA) can be a vital pathway to urgent care, but it can also bring stress, confusion, and difficult decisions for everyone involved.

Spokane County alone accounts for nearly one-third of all ITA hearings statewide (“Spokane County is consistently responsible for about one-third of the state’s total ITA detentions” — Washington State Association of Counties, ITA Working Group, 2020). This speaks both to the real need for crisis services in this region and to the critical role local responders and service networks play every day.

This stop on the Listening Tour is your opportunity to share what’s working, what’s missing, and how the ITA process can better reflect the needs and realities of communities throughout the greater Spokane region. Whether you bring lived experience, serve on the front lines, or simply care about your neighbors, your voice can help shape a system that is more clear, fair, and responsive for everyone who calls this region home.