For decades, we’ve advocated for a response to drug-related offenses that prioritizes diversion over punishment. Punishment does not solve a public health problem and often exacerbates drug use.
“Drug use is a public health issue, and it shouldn’t be criminalized,” explained Brandie Flood, director of community justice at ETS’s street-based outreach program, REACH.
We’ve been in this work since 1973 and are proud of every service we’ve been able to offer along the way. Read on to learn more about how ETS is growing to meet the needs of people in South King County.
LEAD program expansion
The LEAD program—Let Everyone Advance with Dignity—is a first-of-its-kind diversion strategy involving many partner organizations across the Puget Sound and the nation. LEAD is revolutionizing the way Seattle law enforcement handles people accused of repeat, low-level drug-related crimes, providing a comprehensive mix of services rather than putting people in jail. LEAD identifies system failures, and REACH provides case management and access to services that are the backbone of the program.
In 2026, ETS is expanding the LEAD program into South King County, including Algona, Des Moines, and White Center. The way LEAD operates in South King County is shaped by the local context, community concerns, and political realities. REACH customizes clinical approaches to meet the needs of the neighborhoods being served. In South King County many individuals are living in extreme poverty, and often face overlapping challenges like substance use, serious behavioral health conditions, or developmental or physical disabilities.
Criminalization often masks unmet health and disability needs. As Brandie explained, “people see behavior and label it as a problem without understanding the disability or the health issue behind it.”
LEAD is a long-term, intentional commitment to people that the legal system is not designed to meet. This expansion into South King County allows ETS to intentionally build a multidisciplinary model from the ground up to ensure that people are met with care, compassion, and the resources they need to meet their goals.
Jail-based services grow
Historically, the services we provide at ETS—especially methadone treatment—have not been consistently available in jail settings. That is changing, and we’re proud to expand jail-based services in South King County. This expansion represents a significant shift toward treatment access over punishment, aligning with the criminal legal reform values that guide our work.
This includes an expansion of our chain‑of‑custody dosing, meaning that if someone is already enrolled in treatment elsewhere and is jailed at a facility that ETS contracts with, ETS is able to provide their medication while incarcerated. We have provided this service at SCORE Jail in Des Moines for years and have now expanded to Kent Jail and Mason County Jail.
ETS is piloting induction/intake inside jails, which means we can assess individuals for opioid use disorder while they’re incarcerated, and start people on medication before their release. This also expands treatment options beyond buprenorphine to include methadone, which many jails have not previously offered.
Expanding jail-based services marks an important shift in treatment options for people who are incarcerated. It prevents forced withdrawal and reduces overdose risk upon release, makes treatment immediately accessible rather than delayed or disrupted, and creates stronger pathways into ongoing care after release.
ETS’s goal is to make the transition from jail to community as seamless as possible, explained ETS’s VP of Clinic Services Sean Soth. “Our role is making sure we’re connecting people to the easiest option for them, and nearest isn’t always the easiest.”
Upon release, many people stop treatment due to personal choice or structural barriers (like release timing being late at night or early morning, lack of transportation, or clinics being closed). Jails often cannot predict exact release times, making discharge planning difficult. “If somebody can come out [of jail] and they’re already on medication, we know that’s going to reduce the risk of overdose when they are released,” said Sean.
Criminal legal reform will not happen overnight, but every step in the right direction moves us closer to this goal. In the meantime, we remain dedicated to providing life-changing services for people on their terms.
Join us at this year’s Roots of Recovery: A New Chapter of Care to celebrate recovery and 30 years of REACH.
