Diversion Center

The Snohomish County Diversion Center is a 44-bed facility (32 men and 12 women) offering short-term placement and shelter to homeless adults with a substance use disorder and other behavioral health issues, diverting them away from incarceration and toward treatment.

Who is eligible

Homeless individuals are admitted that are experiencing substance use disorders and behavioral health issues. The individuals must be amenable to treatment and identified by law enforcement or embedded social workers.

Treatment

During their stay, residents are assigned a case manager who will help enroll them in an assortment of treatment options, including medication assisted treatment, inpatient/residential treatment, and other social services to address their individual needs. The process is resident-driven based on their needs and specific circumstances.

Services

The center is staffed twenty four hours a day by Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and resident monitors. Staff on site provide medical and behavioral health screenings at intake and medical monitoring throughout a client's stay. Residents will also undergo a thorough needs assessment and assertive engagement into available services, medication assisted treatment options, and individualized support and recovery plan development.

2018 Summary

In the 7 months that the Snohomish County Diversion Center was operational in 2018, 377 unduplicated individuals enrolled in the program. Of those who participated in the program, 42% were successfully referred to treatment, 16% to housing (~90% of that being clean/sober housing), and 1% to detox. It was discovered after the program opened that those who require detox (not participating in MAT to assist with opioid detoxification) are typically not medically-eligible for SCDC intake, per the screening protocol by the medical director, until they completed detox externally. As a result of this, referrals to detox centers were made before entry into the program, then these individuals would generally return to the program as they waited for treatment or housing.