EVERETT, AUG. 15: A citywide mobile opioid treatment program was extended for two more years during this week’s Everett City Council meeting.
Last year, the city received funding from the state for a “Street Medicine Pilot Program,” which covered operational expenses for the now Emergency Mobile Opioid Team in Everett (EMOTE).
The EMOTE program is intended to promote and increase addiction treatment for unhoused individuals, providing medicine, counseling and peer support to Everett residents who are unable or choose not to interact with office-based medical care.
The core team consists of peers and substance use disorder professionals who are supported by prescribers.
There were an estimated 245 opioid overdose deaths in Snohomish County last year, according to Snohomish Overdose Prevention. In 2023, they recorded 270 deaths.
In the first three quarters, EMOTE made “601 meaningful contacts with clients and peers,” the ordinance said. A total of 375 people were referred to inpatient treatment.
The city initially received $500,000, passed through the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) in 2024.
The council approved a contract amendment from HCA providing an additional $716,000 to continue the program through June 30, 2027.
