Sobering Urgent Response Van now connected to 911 dispatch

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office donated the 16-passenger cargo van. Previously, it was used by Corrections and kept as a search and rescue van, but it wasn’t working well for that purpose, said Cmdr. K.C. Kasberg, who sat on the advisory board for SURV. Back seats have since been removed, creating more room for people’s belongings. Kasberg said most of the people they contact for public intoxication are homeless. Those individuals may be more willing to take advantage of the center and safely sober up if they know they can bring their belongings with them rather than risk having them stolen.

“In a police car, there’s just not enough room for a bicycle and a couple of backpacks,” Kasberg said.

The van will also be stocked with hygiene kits and naloxone, a shot or nasal spray that reverses opiate overdoses. Naloxone is already handed out at the sobering center. Opiates, including heroin, are the most commonly abused drug among people seeking Lifeline’s services, Sanford said. However, the sobering center is seeing a spike in methamphetamine use. Stimulants — mostly methamphetamine but also cocaine and amphetamines — are the primary drug of choice for 32 percent of people that visit the center.

Staffing the van will be a peer specialist or “recovery coach” who’s had experience in recovery as well as a certified medical assistant. Typically, the van would pick up one person at a time. Daily operating hours will be 3 p.m. to midnight. Kasberg said that’s the time frame when police often contact people who need to be taken to the sobering center.

Operating the van will cost about $120,000 annually, including the two staff members, supplies and vehicle-related costs, Sanford said.

On path to recovery

The 26-bed sobering center is meant to divert people from emergency rooms and the jail. Usually, people stay for about 12 hours. Some people are dropped off and others walk in off the street. It’s open to Washington residents who are at least 18 years of age and under the influence.

A stay at the sobering center costs $84, much less than dealing with a substance abuse problem in a hospital where it’s estimated to cost more than $1,300 daily, according to the Washington State Hospital Association.

While a single-day stay at the Clark County Jail costs about the same amount of money as staying at the sobering center, they’re different environments. Staff at the sobering center are intent on helping people find motivation to continue with treatment. That could mean entering Lifeline’s detox program and then maybe an inpatient stay. People can also get clothing, food and sign up for insurance while at the sobering center. Staff are trained in completing the Vulnerability Assessment Tool that’s used to get people into subsidized housing.

“If we can get them housed, if we can get them into treatment, if we can get them stable and on the path to recovery, it’s a huge success for the program. It’s a huge success for the community,” Sanford said.

That success takes time and repeated encounters with people at the sobering center. While half of the people who stay only stay once, Lifeline is more focused on frequent fliers who are using the most resources and are costliest to the community.

“We really try to reach some of the hard-to-reach folks,” Sanford said.