Time is running out. The JustCARE program has kept Seattle’s residents safe by uniting communities in the fight against COVID, but it faces an urgent threat.
By the end of this month, the program will run out of funding. This would force more than 120 formerly unsheltered individuals back onto the streets of Pioneer Square and the Chinatown-International District. This would increase COVID transmission, put people’s lives at risk, and harm the economic recovery of the community.
[PETITION LINK]
This is JustCARE’s story and why we’re trying to keep the program alive.
The JustCARE Story
[VIDEO LINK]
JustCARE is a multi-agency, hotel-based intensive case management program for unhoused individuals. We actively respond to COVID conditions in support of individuals with complex behavioral health needs. Specifically, we provide support for those who commonly commit law violations or exhibit problematic behavior related to behavioral health conditions. Developed by the PDA CoLEAD team, the JustCARE model utilizes hotels for temporary lodging while providing intensive case management and residential on-site support.
CoLEAD and the Origins of JustCARE
It began when neighborhood leaders in Chinatown International District (CID) and Pioneer Square called for a real response to the COVID issues posed by and in encampments without law enforcement or displacement. In Spring 2020, there was an urgent threat of outbreaks among unsheltered individuals. Not only did this threaten their lives, it also threatened the recovery and safety of Seattle’s neighborhoods at large.
It quickly became evident that social distancing, access to sanitation, and shelter in place options in encampments were impossible. If this issue were left unaddressed, a catastrophic COVID outbreak might have taken place. But then, CoLEAD made a breakthrough. Seattle’s hotels were empty because of the pandemic and faced a difficult business climate. These newly underutilized facilities allowed for ready sanitation and social distancing. Additionally, they were suitable for intensive case management support for people struggling with complex behavioral health issues and few legal income sources.
Beginning in May 2020, CoLEAD deployed outreach responder teams in Burien to screen people under consideration for release from jail. The CoLEAD team also began supporting participants with complex needs and challenging behaviors in a group of hotels in Seattle and SeaTac. It was intensive work, but it was effective.
The Development of JustCARE
As CoLEAD’s success became known, we began fielding requests from neighborhoods, businesses and public officials, to replicate efforts around Seattle. But when the Seattle version of CoLEAD expired in August 2020 and lacked the funds to continue, we had no choice but to deny those requests.
To expand our program, we needed support. The solution was to bring Seattle’s community together. We recruited a team of organizations and agencies willing to rapidly innovate their services delivery to support people with complex needs in hotels. This collaborative approach was the beginning of JustCARE.
After seeing the initial success of JustCARE, The County Council then requested the addition of Chinatown International District (CID) to the project. This was a welcome addition because CID neighborhood groups have offered unified, decisive responses to encampments centering on care and engagement, rather than enforcement or displacement.
The Impact of JustCARE
At a time when people were more isolated than ever, a coalition of community organizations came together through JustCARE. Through the partnership of numerous organizations and agencies, the program has made an incredible impact. It has reduced Covid-19 exposure on the streets, increased safety in neighborhoods, and helped small businesses recover. To this day, JustCARE has lifted more than 120 individuals off the streets and into safe hotel placements with basic needs, medical services, and case management support.
JustCARE is truly an inter-agency effort. Many partner organizations have assumed major operational roles (ACRS, CSC, REACH, PDA, CoLEAD, LEAD). Others such as the Seattle Indian Health Board, Health One, and the Downtown Seattle Association act as support within involved neighborhoods. Additional partner organizations share ideas and support of these efforts including the Downtown Emergency Service Center, Cowlitz Behavioral Health, Catholic Community Services, and Harborview Medical Center. Finally, government entities are coordinated as needed, including the Seattle Police Department, Metro, the Mayor’s Office and various City and County council offices.
Current JustCARE hotel-based programs include:
● Encampment outreach and move coordination provided by the Evergreen Treatment Services REACH program.
● Asian Counseling and Referral Service hotel-based JustCARE program (serving an acute mental health population)
● Chief Seattle Club hotel-based JustCARE program (serving Native and Indigenous individuals)
● Public Defender Association hotel-based CoLEAD program
● WDC Safety Team works with all JustCARE providers.
We Need Your Help
In less than two weeks, funding from King County will run out. This will force more than 120 individuals back into encampments. The funding cuts will erase the progress that JustCARE has made for these individuals and Seattle’s communities by sending people back onto the streets.
Here’s what you can do. We need your help to sign the petition for JustCARE. Then, share it on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or any other social media platforms that you use. Please spread the petition and ask others to share it as well! If we can generate enough awareness, then we CAN secure funding for JustCARE.
Sign the petition here: [PETITION LINK]
