5/23/2022
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The Spokesman-Review
Creating a ‘therapeutic’ space
KREM
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The Spokesman-Review
Creating a ‘therapeutic’ space
By Nina Culver
FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Artist Myron Curry spent the weekend putting a dozen large paintings on frames and hanging them inside the Spokane Regional Stabilization Center, which treats people in crises caused by substance abuse or mental illness.
The unassuming brick building on West Gardner Avenue run by Pioneer Human Services is often presented by police officers as a choice to people who are either addicted to illicit substances, having a mental illness episode or both. They’re told they can choose between the stabilization center or jail.
Curry’s paintings, which are mostly either 8 by 4 feet or 8 by 6 feet in size, are bright and colorful. Several feature scenes from downtown Spokane or local animals, including baby deer and moose. One features Native Americans wearing tribal regalia, and the one located in the sally port entrance where new patients arrive includes a rising phoenix.
Curry taught himself to paint while he was serving 15 years in federal prison for intent to possess and distribute controlled substances. He had always been into drawing and was looking for something to do when another inmate let him use his painting supplies. He saw that Curry had talent and when the inmate was released, he gifted Curry his supplies.
“It’s therapeutic,” Curry said.
Artist Myron Curry stands with some of his paintings, which were being hung by his friend Johnathan Creach, in back, on Sunday inside the Spokane Regional Stabilization Center.
JESSE TINSLEY/ THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Curry focused on improving his education, physical fitness and painting skills while he was in prison. When he was released four years ago, he earned a degree in information technology from Seattle Central College and stayed out of trouble. In addition to his art, he does social service work.
“I do a lot of community development and engagement planning with organizations,” he said.
The Regional Stabilization Center opened eight months ago and Dan Sigler, the regional director for Pioneer Human Services, said they wanted to get some art on the walls. Pioneer had worked with Curry before, and Sigler said that Curry had the talent and lived experience to do what they wanted.
“When we developed the program, we really wanted it to be welcoming for people in crisis,” he said.
The secure facility provides mental health counseling and/or substance use disorder treatment services for those entering the jail diversion program. They also help patients develop support and recovery plans and help them find housing. People who successfully complete the program are eligible to have their criminal charges dropped.
“We can provide treatment for the whole person,” Sigler said.
Sigler asked Curry if he could create larger, mural- style paintings for the facility to be hung in the common areas and sleeping area. “We hope it will make it a welcoming, therapeutic facility,” Sigler said. “We want to have a trauma-informed program. The more you can do to keep people calm who are in crisis, the better.”
The only space Curry had that was big enough to work on the large paintings was his bedroom wall, where he would hang the canvases so he could paint.
“My paintings normally aren’t this big,” he said.
By choosing familiar Spokane scenes and wildlife, Curry said he was trying to paint things that were positive and peaceful.
“I try to focus on the impact,” he said. “That’s what drives me.”
Artist Myron Curry touches up one of his paintings Sunday inside the sally port at the Spokane Regional Stabilization Center. The center offers triage and treatment for substance abuse and mental illness to people brought in by law enforcement. Pioneer Human Services, which runs the center, commissioned a series of paintings depicting Spokane from Curry, who was formerly incarcerated.
JESSE TINSLEY/ THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
By Treva Lind
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
While the battle to save youth from drug addiction isn’t new, recent forces have raised alarm bells for the professionals who help those adolescents in treatment.
Here and nationwide, trends show significantly higher rates of youth fentanyl addiction, mental health issues, self-harm or suicides and childhood sex-trafficking, said Sarah Spier, Daybreak Youth Services director of external relations.
“Intentional self-harm among adolescents skyrocketed at the start of the pandemic,” Spier said. “We still see high levels of mental health issues, and the fentanyl increase has just been horrendous.”
They’re among the factors surrounding why the nonprofit founded in 1978 offers full-spectrum, trauma-focused adolescent addiction and mental health treatment for youth 12-17 from across the state. With inpatient and outpatient services, Daybreak has facilities in Spokane and Vancouver, Wash.
Spokane sites include one for girls ages 12-18 to receive inpatient mental health and substance use treatment and counseling. Daybreak also offers outpatient co-ed clinics and counseling for teenage boys and girls in Spokane Valley.
Mirror programs are in Vancouver, where boys from Spokane or statewide go for inpatient treatment.
And Daybreak just announced that its newest program to provide wraparound behavioral health support services to sex-trafficked youth, held separately from its other programs and within a licensed residential setting.
Daybreak developed its program for sex-trafficked youth under new legislation, House Bill 1775, Spier said. Under its provisions, law enforcement and service providers may refer children to these programs, or children may self-refer.
“It’s the first in Washington state to be a sex-trafficking-focused program within a licensed residential facility,” she said. “It’s the first of its kind where we provide full substance use disorder and mental health assessments onsite. We then provide up to 30 days of stabilization.
“Those youth will have direct access to continue and go into the co-occurring treatment facility to continue their substance use disorder and mental health treatment. Then, we have case managers who provide full wraparound support and very intensive discharge planning. We just opened.”
Regarding its overall care programs, Spier noted a May 11 national report on the escalation of drug overdoses.
“The CDC just announced the latest data that showed almost 108,000 people overdosed this last year, which is the highest- ever recorded in the United States, and the primary driver is fentanyl,” Spier said. “That’s something we see at Daybreak; we treat youth who are addicted to fentanyl, and we’ve seen nearly a 60% increase, we’re estimating, over the last year to year and a half.
“This is unlike anything that’s ever been seen.”
Daybreak is the state’s largest youth Medicaid treatment provider, Spier said, although it’s also authorized among all private insurance carriers. Daybreak relies on fundraisers to support its programs and life enrichment activities, including its firstBattle of the Bands lip-syncing competition 7 p.m. Thursday at the Knitting Factory. Tickets are $50 to $100 for the event with a judges panel and appetizers.
Spier said Daybreak’s separate psychiatric evaluation and treatment unit, paused because of COVID-19, is expected to reopen soon in Spokane for short-term crisis stabilizations.
The unit’s reopening is crucial because of the numbers of adolescents causing intentional self-harm, she said, and to help in the youth mental health crisis also being seen at hospitals. “It’s really for mental health and suicidal youth.”
Also, Daybreak offers Wraparound Intensive Services, called WISe, offering in-home mental health care solely for Medicaid- qualified youth ages 0-21 and families, Spier said. A peer navigator for youth, therapist and case manager work as a team with families in the home.
Sarah Spier, director of external relations at Daybreak Youth Services, stands for a photo at Daybreak with a flyer promoting the Battle of the Bands lip-syncing fundraiser Thursday at Knitting Factory in downtown Spokane.
TYLER TJOMSLAND/ THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
During more than 40 years, Daybreak has countless stories of teens who succeeded after completing its programs and finished high school or college, Spier said. Daybreak has an accredited school onsite linking to high school credit or GEDs.
Reagan Cox, 20, is now at Eastern Washington University, where she’s majoring in social work and minoring in criminal justice and addiction studies.
As a high school student, she entered Daybreak’s outpatient program. Cox then was recruited for an internship to support Daybreak’s Royal Closet, for teens to borrow formal attire for homecoming or prom.
“Daybreak just really helped me coming out of rehab inpatient and going into outpatient,” Cox said.
“It helped me with staying sober and keeping focused on staying healthy. I stayed really close with the counselors, as well.”
If youth enter for substance use disorder treatment, mental health counseling is always a part of the care, Spier said.
“The clinical term is co-occurring. Oftentimes, when somebody is using a substance, they have an underlying mental health condition that they’re addressing,” Spier said.
“Whether it’s depression or anxiety, many times drugs are a cause and coping mechanism to a mental health condition.”
The trauma-focused therapy tackles root causes. “That is the population we serve; youth from the foster care system, youth who have been sex-trafficked, youth who have been abused, youth who come from households with domestic abuse, intergenerational poverty, addiction and mental health.”
Another program helps youth be kids again, through its life enrichment program, also donation-supported, so Daybreak youth can go to boxing classes, art and music therapy, equine therapy and escape rooms.
“These are fun things to do; they’ve missed out on childhood, and because it is fun, they’ve wanted to stay in treatment,” said Catherine Reynolds, who leads that program.
After fears of closure in January 2020 because of budget shortfalls, Daybreak kept its doors open by then raising $500,000 to plug that fiscal hole and hire staff.
In summer 1978, co-founder Bill Yakely was on a tractor at his family farm near Spokane when he said he heard a clear voice say, “Help the children.”
With a young family and new veterinary clinic to run, he didn’t know what to do. When he shared the call with his pastor, the pastor told him he wasn’t the only member of the congregation to receive the message. That’s when a small group of people began Daybreak with one counselor.
Yakely still visits Spokane sites on occasion.
Daybreak has kept a mission to “help the children.”
Youth are referred by agencies and families, or self-refer, at (888) 454-5506.
Treva Lind can be reached at (509) 459-5439 or at treval@spokesman.com.
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KREM
Spokane's Point-in-Time count shows there are nearly 1,800 people experiencing homelessness citywide. It's why Woodward says the city needs to start with the basics.
In the News: National headlines for May 23, 2022
SPOKANE, Wash. — As the city of Spokane works to tackle the growing homelessness crisis, other cities are sharing their experiences in hopes that the Lilac City can learn what does and does not work and then apply it here.
Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward told KREM 2 that her top priority right now is getting the proposed shelter on East Trent Avenue up and running by summer 2022.
However, the proposed shelter hit several roadblocks after Spokane City Council members initially denied approval for a zoning change and a possible conflict of interest forced the bidding process to start over.
Council members also passed a recommendation to restrict the number of bedsavailable at the Trent site.
Woodward said the city specifically looked for a facility that could accommodate a large population, which she defined as 250 or more people.
However, the recommendation passed by the city council does not require the city to limit shelter capacity.
"There's been no ordinance that's been passed that would require us to do so," Woodward said. "So we're continuing to move forward with the plan that we've initiated, and that is a larger, low barrier shelter. We need the capacity."
While the city is focused on opening a large, high-capacity shelter, some council members wonder if that is the answer.
Spokane City Council member Zack Zappone told KREM 2 that the size of the proposed shelter was based on "best practices", in which a shelter includes more services to make sure people experiencing homelessness are able to move into permanent housing.
"When one group wants to just push forward no matter what, with their vision, without compromising discussion and trying to come up with what's going to work best for our community, it really prolongs the process," he said.
Many Spokane homeowners believe the process to open a shelter is already taking too long. Neighbors in the area of I-90 and Freya Street are especially frustrated, as the tent encampment there on Department of Transportation (DOT) land continues to grow.
At last count, the encampment sat at more than 300 people in tents and campers.
Woodward said the city plans to connect the people staying at the tent encampment to the shelter and its services. Should they choose not to go, Woodward said it will be their decision.
"But we're going to make it a lot easier for them to make that decision," she added.
As part of an informal poll, KREM 2 asked 21 people in the tent encampment near I-90 and Freya is they would use a large shelter space. 57% said no.
Seattle saw a similar issue of shelter resistance, which prompted a non-profit organization to create villages of tiny homes for those experiencing homelessness in the Puget Sound area.
Woodward said she is open to the idea of tiny homes, but added that a city has to find the right place and have the right infrastructure for this to become a reality.
"There's a lot of considerations that go into that," she said. "But I think that's a great option, especially for transitional housing."
The mayor's office is currently budgeting up to $3 million to operate the proposed Trent shelter, as well as an additional $10 to $13 million to fund House of Charity's move to a new location outside of the downtown Spokane core.
However, some wonder if that money could be used more effectively elsewhere.
Sara Rankin, a professor at Seattle University's School of Law, has researched homelessness in western Washington since 2015. She said emergency shelters are not long-term solutions.
"You can invest money in that, but don't be surprised when the problem doesn't resolve itself," she added. "Don't be surprised when homelessness doesn't go down. Because you don't have exits for people who are in emergency interventions to go to."
Those interventions, according to Rankin, include long-term affordable housing and drug and mental health programs. Woodward said both are included in her Homeless Plan 2.0, but they will take time.
"If we can incentivize and come alongside some of these developers and work with them, we have funds that we can help subsidize some of those apartments with," Woodward said. "And we need more mental health counselors, for people who have a mental illness. We have a workforce shortage crisis when it comes to mental health counselors."
When asked for her response to residents who say a big shelter will not fix the problem of the tent city on DOT property, Woodward said if the shelter has the bed space, it can be used as a tool to prevent them from camping.
KREM 2 reached out to DOT for a response to the city's plans. They sent the following statement:
To remove the camp requires an adequate amount of both high and low barrier shelter space, which to date has not materialized. We are hopeful that through the current discussions taking place on adding additional shelter bed space, that once available, we will be able react quickly and remove the camp.
Spokane's latest Point-in-Time count shows there are nearly 1,800 people experiencing homelessness in the city. Roughly half are considered un-housed, meaning they have nowhere else to go but the streets.
This is one of the reasons Woodward said the city needs to start with the basics.
"We can't let perfect get in the way of good and we've been very transparent from the very beginning," Woodward said. "This isn't the perfect facility. This isn't the perfect plan, but it's the best facility and the best plan that we have right now."