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Department of Health approves license for controversial Lynnwood opioid treatment center

The Washington State Department of Health approved a behavioral health agency license on Thursday for a proposed opioid treatment center to begin providing services.

The treatment center, operated by Acadia Healthcare, has drawn controversy from both the community and the Lynnwood city council in recent weeks. Residents have said that the site is too close to a Boys and Girls Club facility and a baseball field. Council president George Hurst says the council wasn’t notified about the proposed plans for the treatment center until the middle of December.

“Acadia failed in their outreach,” Hurst said earlier this month. “It just seems like the whole process has been so not transparent.”

“The department recognizes that there are concerns about the specific location of the clinic, however, site approval is a role for local government, and the department has no role in that decision,” the DOH said in a statement. “The department’s role is to verify that the OTP (opioid treatment program) complied with local zoning and siting regulations, and Acadia did that in this case. This clinic is moving only a short distance from its previous location, and has hundreds of existing clients, many of whom live in community near the new location and need access to continued treatment. These clients are neighbors, family members, co-workers and friends who are working to stay in recovery.”

Acadia’s Lynnwood location is meant to serve patients who have been relocated from the Bothell center. That location closed recently after serving patients for more than 20 years.

Hurst believes there were too many issues with the process and not enough communication from Acadia Healthcare nor the Department of Health.

“The Department of Health was happy with that. They said, ‘Oh, they did contact you and they came to your city council meeting,’” Hurst said.

But with this being a done deal, he feels the community, including Acadia Healthcare, has to come together to make this work.

“But let’s have the police, neighbors, even Acadia, and any of the businesses that are around there that would be impacted like the Boys and Girls Club. Let’s all be together and meet and just come to a resolution,” Hurst said.

Hurst says he was told by Acadia Healthcare that they would be willing to have monthly meetings to update the public. He believes they should have bi-weekly meetings on the matter.

Safe Lynnwood, an organization that has protested the facility from the beginning, posted this statement on the Department of Health’s decision to approve the license for the facility:

We are deeply disappointed by the Department of Health’s decision to approve a certificate for Acadia’s proposed location in Lynnwood, next to our Boys and Girls Club. This decision was made despite the company’s troubling history of dishonesty and deception demonstrated in their application process, as well as the many issues our community repeatedly raised with this location. The Department of Health and Lynnwood city administration ignored the needs and concerns of our community.

Since the beginning, our group has been targeted and unfairly called names. We want to make it clear again that we are pro-treatment. We want protections for our kids, and we also care about the men and women who are seeking treatment. Many of our group members have loved ones who are addicted, or have served this community for years and know firsthand how badly they need help. This location does not serve their needs - there is not enough parking, no public transit, or essential services nearby. The close proximity of the children’s clubs and baseball fields in this location will not provide them the privacy they deserve.

It is deeply concerning that the Department of Health and Lynnwood city administration would rather play Russian Roulette with the lives of kids instead of rectifying the issues and holding Acadia accountable for its misconduct. Many officials acknowledged the problems with the location and the flawed bureaucratic process, yet they still chose to support a multi-billion dollar company that had deliberately concealed information in order to obtain permits from the city and had a history of mistreatment in its clinics.

This is not the end. Our community deserves and demands transparency, honesty, and authentic care for our community’s well-being. This Sunday, January 29th at 1 PM, we will rally outside of the proposed site to fight for more protection and assurances for the safety of our children and community. We urge residents, parents, nearby business owners, and concerned citizens to join us in making a powerful statement.