For roughly two decades, Spokane has had, off and on, some version of a program that’s been called “Hot Spotters,” which works to identify and help stabilize people who are most frequently visiting emergency departments, interacting with police, and/or landing in Community Court.
Most recently, in late 2024, the program was restarted as the High Utilizers Initiative.
Initially given emergency funding, and then $500,000 from the city’s opioid settlement money to operate throughout 2025, the program run by the case management clinic Consistent Care is currently working on securing a contract for 2026, but continues to help people dealing with opioid use disorder who need intensive case management…