Alisha Benson, Zeke Smith and Lance Beck: Together we can make a safe and healthy Spokane

By Alisha Benson, Zeke Smith and Lance Beck

You don’t have to follow city council meetings or read every headline to know something’s not right in Spokane County. Whether you’re a business owner, a nurse in the ER, or a parent walking your kids to school, the signs are everywhere – our community is struggling.

Every day, our community grapples with the visible and invisible consequences of overlapping crises: rising substance use, untreated mental illness, homelessness, and growing concerns about public safety. The data is sobering: Fatal overdoses in Spokane County are on track to reach one person per day this year. Half of emergency room visits involve individuals suffering from behavioral health issues. Nearly half of adults experiencing homelessness report serious mental illness with over half struggling with substance use disorders. These aren’t just statistics. They’re daily realities. And they demand a new kind of solution, one built by the community, for the community, in a unified, community-driven response.

For too long, our systems – from courts to clinics, shelters to emergency rooms – have operated in silos. Law enforcement faces staffing challenges and rising demands, while hospitals and behavioral health providers are overwhelmed and under-resourced. The lack of coordinated infrastructure means people in crisis often fall through the cracks, cycling between jail, the streets and emergency departments without ever receiving the care they need.

It’s time to build a comprehensive vision for behavioral health, housing and justice reform – a plan that reflects the full scope of Spokane’s needs.

That’s why the launch of the Safe & Healthy Spokane Task Force, a regional, community-led initiative designed to build consensus around actionable solutions, presents a real opportunity to confront the challenges that have ravaged our community. This is different from previous efforts. It’s not about choosing sides. It’s about choosing Spokane.

The new Safe & Healthy Spokane Task Force is a diverse coalition of business leaders, health advocates, nonprofit organizations and individuals with lived experience. It includes voices from every corner of our community, including first responders, service providers, court officials and everyday residents. By engaging deeply in best practices and exploring solutions that span the entire system, from prevention and treatment to accountability and recovery, the Task Force is not about pushing a single agenda. This initiative is centered around moving beyond the false choice of “jails or no jails” and instead asking: What does a safe, and healthy Spokane look like – and how do we get there? The urgency is real. The opportunity is now.

We recognize that to be successful we need outside expertise to assist our local experts. MIG, a firm specializing in planning, design and sustainability, employs experts at facilitating multi-stakeholder processes and has experience working in Spokane. Retired Judge Steven Leifman, a recognized leader in criminal justice and behavioral health reform, and his team work around the country with communities like ours bringing the experience needed to solve these complex problems.

This month, the Task Force and community members with expertise in the many intersections of public safety and health are invited to participate in an asset assessment led by Judge Leifman to review community assets, data and gaps while assessing our justice and behavioral health systems to identify critical needs and prioritize infrastructure and resource investments.

In the months ahead, the task force will use the assessment to identify some immediate fixes by better aligning existing resources as well as outlining future longer-term actions. By building upon the significant work already underway across Spokane County – aligning ongoing efforts, data and community expertise – to develop coordinated, actionable recommendations that improve outcomes in our criminal justice and behavioral health systems, the task force aims to deliver a shared roadmap that helps every local jurisdiction strengthen safety, health and hope for all who live in Spokane County.

We invite the community to stay informed and engaged in this important work by visiting safeandhealthyspokane.org to follow the task force’s progress and upcoming opportunities for involvement.

There is nothing more important we can do at this moment than work together to create a future where public safety and public health are aligned in service of a stronger, more compassionate community. Help us build a plan that reflects Spokane’s values, addresses Spokane’s realities and restores Spokane’s hope.

Alisha Benson is CEO of Greater Spokane Incorporated. Zeke Smith is president of the Waters Meet Foundation. Lance Beck is president and CEO of the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce.