Sen. Cantwell secured a $2 million federal grant for the project, slated to open fall 2027
SPOKANE, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, joined community leaders in Spokane for a ceremonial groundbreaking of a new integrated behavioral health center being spearheaded by Frontier Behavioral Health (FBH) and the Community Health Association of Spokane (CHAS Health).
“Integrated care and the partnership that is between Frontier Behavioral Health and the CHAS Healthcare System is really rethinking how healthcare works, and it’s being delivered here in Spokane,” Sen. Cantwell said.
“Too many people are falling through the cracks. More than 4,000 low-income residents in downtown Spokane do not have access to a community health center, let alone integrated behavioral health services,” she continued. “The clinic is going to be designed just to do that, and instead of sending people from one provider, to another provider, to another provider, to another provider, and having to deal with some issues like substance abuse treatment, pharmacy services, lab services, care navigation — all of that is now under one roof. “
“I fought to secure $2 million for this Health Resource[s and] Service[s] Administration grant to help build this 9,800-square-foot facility to integrate behavioral health and primary care, and say we can have one-stop healthcare shopping.”
Kelli Miller, CEO of Frontier Behavioral Health: “When people are struggling with their physical health, mental health, substance use, housing instability, living in poverty, they’re asked to navigate the most complicated system on their own. The people with the greatest needs are asked to handle this by themselves. This clinic changes that. Here, a person will be able to access primary care, behavioral health care, substance use, pharmacy services, and navigation […] They’ll be met by somebody ready to hear and help, instead of being handed another number to call when the time is right.”
Aaron Wilson, CEO of Community Health Association of Spokane: “We have been dreaming of a shared clinic space like this for many years […] Today is about more than the start of construction; it is about the next chapter in a partnership that has been built over years of trust, shared purpose, and a deep commitment to the people who depend on us.”
Sen. Cantwell secured $2 million through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for construction of the integrated primary care and behavioral health clinic. The clinic will improve access to coordinated care for patients with low incomes and complex primary care and behavioral health needs. Once completed, FBH and CHAS Health will offer primary care, substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, behavioral health, and pharmacy services out of the new 9,800-square-foot facility, which will be located at 130 East Sprague Avenue in downtown.
In downtown Spokane, 18.8% of adults report frequent mental distress (i.e., poor mental health for greater than two weeks in the past 30 days), the highest rate among Washington state’s nine largest cities. Additionally, in 2025, Spokane first responders treated nearly 1,800 overdose patients and administered naloxone nearly 1,000 times. Despite this need, many individuals are not successfully connected to care. Data from CHAS Health found that more than 40% of patients with a mental health diagnosis never engage in behavioral health treatment, and only about 10% of referrals from primary care to behavioral health result in a completed appointment. By contrast, an integrated care pilot program co-locating services through FBH and CHAS Health, increased successful referrals to 50%.
Sen. Cantwell has championed this integrated care model at the federal level through the bipartisan Fatal Overdose Reduction Act, legislation that would establish a Medicaid demonstration program allowing states to create Health Engagement Hubs. Modeled after the work of Dr. Caleb Banta-Green at the University of Washington, these hubs would provide low-barrier, integrated care by bringing primary care, behavioral health services, substance use treatment, and other support services together in one location, without requiring an appointment.