About WSMI

The Washington State Methamphetamine Initiative (WSMI) was initially formed in 2000 by a group of law enforcement, treatment and prevention professionals who were experiencing, first hand, the negative impacts of methamphetamine in neighborhoods, families and the criminal justice system. After gaining support from our Congressional delegation, these individuals agreed that unless they could fully realize the institutionalization of a “community” based approach they would fail at addressing the far reaching negative impacts of meth. To that end, WSMI developed a five year proposal to fund a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to addressing the environmental, neighborhoods, individual and institutional impacts of meth.

No other state has taken such an aggressive and far-reaching approach to methamphetamine.

The Washington State Methamphetamine Initiative was founded as a comprehensive approach entailing law enforcement, forensics, professional training, environmental and health services, community mobilization and public education and treatment. State, county and community agencies teamed up with congressional leaders, federal agencies and national and local nonprofit organization to integrate law enforcement, prevention/intervention through community mobilization and treatment to create innovative approaches to the problem of meth. In the case of law enforcement officials crafted a proactive investigative approach for treatment and family services.

Treatment services were anchored in drug courts and wrap around services to addicts and their children are provided. Community Mobilization Action Teams were formed in each county. Health officials have been educated on clean-up standards and for environmental issues.

Structure

Through the advocacy and guidance of our Congressional Delegation, the initiative was funded directly to a local non-profit agency, the Pierce County Alliance. All federal funds pass directly through Pierce County Alliance directly to local community organizations such as law enforcement, community mobilization and treatment agencies, thereby bypassing additional costs of State Government. A steering committee made up of representatives of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, the Governor’s Office, the Washington State Patrol, treatment, community mobilization, ecology and health was formed to provide project oversight. The Steering Committee is responsible to the Governor’s Methamphetamine Coordinating Committee which is made up of representatives of state, local and federal agencies, private sector treatment, and community members. The group is co-chaired by the Governor’s Policy Advisor on Criminal Justice and the Chie of the Washington State Patrol. The committee has traditionally been convened two times per year and approves budget and policy recommendations of the Steering Committee.