Just two people showed up in Kent for a public hearing about the proposed move of an opioid treatment program facility from Renton to Kent.
The state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) held the hearing on June 28 at City Hall in Kent. The agency had a hearing earlier in the day in Milton.
“There wasn’t a lot of participation,” said Kelly Stowe, DSHS media relations manager, in an email. “Only one person testified in Milton and two in Kent. One individual in Kent expressed concerns about the overall challenges of delivering mental health services. She, however, also said she supported a new clinic in Kent.”
WCHS, Inc., which has operated the treatment program in Renton since its licensing and accreditation by DSHS in April 2002, requested the move, and plans to call the facility Kent Treatment Solutions. The company wants to move operations to 21851 84th Ave. S. The new site would be larger and allow access by more people because of better public transportation services.
The clinic provides access to essential health care for people dependent on opioids such as heroin and OxyContin by dispensing medication (such as methadone or buprenorphine) and providing case management, therapeutic treatment services and medical oversight.
“The meetings were the first step in the approval process,” Stowe said. “Approval is contingent on the facility review which should be scheduled within the next few weeks.”
The program’s relocation also must be approved by the state’s Board of Pharmacy and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Stowe said.
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