Ideal Option opens new addiction treatment facility in Spokane for alcohol and opioid use

Ideal Option has opened a new addiction treatment facility in Spokane, expanding its services as more and more Spokane residents experience addiction to alcohol or opioids like fentanyl.

Ideal Option has closed its clinics on Monroe and Washington streets and consolidated its employees and resources into the the new facility at 26 E 5th Avenue. The organization will continue to run its two clinics on Francis Street in north Spokane and in Spokane Valley.

According to community outreach coordinator Tyler Vermillion, the combined capacity of the two closed clinics will only make up a third of what the new facility can handle, with capacity for up to 100 patients a day.

“There are too many people dying in Spokane and too many families suffering because of street drugs. Our community is desperate for a treatment center like this one that makes it easy for anyone to start recovery and keep it going,” he said. “If we come together as one to direct people into treatment that works, we can help Spokane get in front of the overdose epidemic.”

Positions at the new facility include three addiction medicine providers, four medical assistants, a care navigator and a peer outreach specialist. It also joins other addiction treatment facilities in Spokane such as the Spokane Regional Health District’s new opioid treatment facility, which opened earlier this month at 311 West 8th Ave.

Founded in 2012, Ideal Option provides addiction treatment services at 90 clinics in nine states and has treated more than 75,000 patients.

The organization specializes in medication-assisted treatment that reduces addiction, improves withdrawal symptoms and prevents overdose.

“The big difference with medication-assisted treatment is folks have a significant reduction in their chances of going into overdose. And that’s what we’re really trying to prevent,” Vermillion said.

The new facility also will expand the organization’s in-house laboratory testing in Spokane.

“In-house testing allows us to get lab testing back very quickly, usually the next day. And with our labs, we actually tailor all of our medication-assisted treatment plans based on what we find in the patient’s bloodstream. And with street drugs, that can often be different from what the patient believes they have taken,” Vermillion said.

Because of these new capabilities, providers at the facility are able to test for many more fentanyl analogs, nitazines, novel psychoactive substances and cutting agents such as xylazine and lidocaine.

The facility will also include experts who treat high-risk patients with specialized protocols for complex drug combinations because of health conditions like pregnancy and chronic disease.

Patients can walk in Monday through Thursday at the new treatment center from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 26 E. 5th Ave. southeast of downtown.

Most forms of insurance are accepted, including Medicare and Medicaid, and patients can typically get started on treatment for fentanyl, heroin, alcohol or other substances in one to three business days.

Patients can make an appointment by calling 1.877.522.1275 or by visiting idealoption.com.

“If you are curious about treatment, please reach out,” Vermillion said. “We love giving tours to folks and we are in a beautiful space.”