More to Every Story: How Spokane police are using a pilot program to help ‘high utilizers’ of emergency response

SPOKANE, Wash. — Gerald Manuel Jr. is known to Spokane police as a high utilizer, or someone who has repeatedly used emergency response and social services. Now, he’s been able to change his life and break a cycle of crises.

“I can look at them and remind myself, yeah, I do need to take one day at a time. Or be mindful when I am in a stressful time,” said Manuel. “It was exhausting and tiring. Trying to find my next fix and high. I was just done with it.”

He says he has been facing a drug addiction since he was 14 years old. Now at 35, he says he is finally making a change to his life…

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