Seattle’s expanded substance abuse treatment pilot program: Smart investment amid budget struggles?

A new pilot program in Seattle is expanding access to substance abuse treatment, but is it a good investment amid the city’s ongoing financial issues?

KIRO Newsradio host John Curley, unsure if this is the right use of city funds, invited Seattle City Council President Sarah Nelson, who launched the pilot program, onto “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio to dig into what this treatment center’s expanded access will bring.

“Rather than spending money somewhere else on this sort of stuff, why not get in there and actually get the person who’s got the addiction and get them really, really good treatment?” Curley asked.

“Well, it depends on what you call really good treatment,” Nelson replied. “It turns out there are a lot of politics to substance use disorder policy response. I fall squarely in the camp that if someone is cycling through chronic homelessness, several overdoses…we have got to help get them into treatment sooner rather than later, because if not, then they can change their mind…It doesn’t have to be abstinence-only treatment.”

‘Everybody deserves the same chance at recovery’

Having struggled with alcohol addiction herself, Nelson shared that she has a unique understanding of the challenges of substance abuse.

“My dad was an alcoholic. He tried quitting many, many times, and it wasn’t until he did inpatient treatment that he was able to basically spend the last 20 years of his life sober.” Nelson said.

Nelson even checked herself into an inpatient treatment in 2020.

“I figured I’ve got some time on my hands, why not just go for the method that has the best chance of success? So I checked myself in,” Nelson. “This pilot program that I started is motivated by the notion that everybody deserves the same chance at recovery that I had, period.”

Noting that inpatient treatments are often costly, Curley wondered if providing care to the public would pose a financial burden for the city.

“The barriers are time and money. Because if you don’t have money or insurance…you’re going to be on a waiting list, and that’s where the time kicks in,” Nelson said. “And while you’re waiting for a bed to open up…you could overdose in that interval. So we have to provide access when people are ready to take that step.”

Listen to the full conversation below.

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