The King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is moving the Sobering Center from the Yesler Building to the downtown Administration Building on a temporary basis. Effective this month, the new site will provide a safe location with an improved layout for clients and staff. Pioneer Human Services, the County’s longtime sobering center operator, will continue providing the essential onsite services needed for this specialized setting.
Part of the County’s crisis services available to residents, the Sobering Center provides a safe space for people to sleep off the effects of acute alcohol or drug intoxication or opiate overdose, while also reducing strain on emergency rooms and jails. King County’s Emergency Service Patrol provides 24/7 triage and transportation for people who use substances in the downtown Seattle area and can bring individuals in need of support to the Administration Building.
The new location will operate between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m., with plans to expand to 24/7 in the near future. This temporary site will ensure services continue while the permanent location in SODO, which the County purchased last year, is being renovated. DCHS anticipates the permanent site will open in 2027.
The Sobering Center is an integral part of DCHS’ crisis services and work to modernize the behavioral health care system. This includes expanding mobile crisis teams, restoring mental health residential treatment beds and creating a countywide network of Crisis Care Centers. The Sobering Center also connects people to treatment services, housing assistance and other supports. By linking services like the Sobering Center with these broader efforts, King County is helping break the cycle and ensuring individuals in crisis receive the support they need at every stage of recovery.
To learn more about the center and how it will operate, click here.