Welcome To
The Tacoma Project
Our comprehensive Mental Health and Substance Use Services are dedicated to helping individuals on their journey to recovery. We provide a supportive and empowering environment to rebuild lives, focusing on healing, growth, and long-term sustainability. Our services include:
Recovery Support: Tailored programs designed to help individuals overcome mental health and substance use challenges, fostering resilience and lasting recovery.
Mental Health Counseling: Personalized counseling services aimed at addressing mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and more, to promote emotional well-being and stability.
Substance Use Counseling: Specialized counseling to help individuals navigate substance use issues, including addiction treatment, relapse prevention, and coping strategies for sustained recovery.
Peer Support Services: Peer-led programs where individuals can connect with others who have lived experience, offering shared understanding, support, and guidance throughout the recovery process.
Life Skill Building: Empowering clients with essential skills like emotional regulation, decision-making, communication, and stress management to enhance personal and professional growth.
Housing Opportunities: Connecting individuals with stable housing options, ensuring a safe, supportive environment to aid in recovery and personal development.
Career Counseling: Offering career guidance and job readiness support to help individuals build skills, secure meaningful employment, and achieve financial independence.
Sustainability: We focus on creating lasting, positive change by promoting self-sufficiency and ongoing support, ensuring individuals have the tools to maintain recovery, secure housing, and build sustainable careers.
In addition, we treat homelessness as its own unique culture, recognizing the profound challenges individuals face and addressing them with the respect and sensitivity they deserve. We also greatly support the BIPOC community, ensuring that our services are culturally competent, inclusive, and equitable, with a particular focus on overcoming the specific barriers marginalized communities may face.
Our holistic approach ensures that every individual receives the necessary tools and resources to thrive, regain independence, and lead fulfilling lives, with an emphasis on long-term sustainability and support.
Sustainable Housing Options
Individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders face unique and profound challenges, particularly when experiencing homelessness. The lack of stable housing exacerbates these challenges, making recovery and stability significantly more difficult to achieve.
Prevalence of Co-Occurring Disorders Among the Homeless in Washington State and Pierce County
In 2024, Washington state reported a total of 31,554 individuals experiencing homelessness, a 12.5% increase from the previous year. Of these, Pierce County, which includes Tacoma, had 1,100 homeless individuals, with a significant portion facing mental health and substance use disorders. Approximately 80% of homeless individuals in this area are either suffering from mental health disorders, substance use disorders, or both. (axios.com)
Challenges Faced by Homeless Individuals with Co-Occurring Disorders
Homelessness significantly complicates the management of co-occurring disorders. The instability and stress associated with living without a permanent residence can worsen mental health symptoms and increase substance use as a form of self-medication. Additionally, the lack of access to consistent healthcare and support services hinders effective treatment and recovery.
Importance of Sustainable Housing Options
Providing stable housing is a critical component of effective treatment for individuals with co-occurring disorders. Stable housing offers a foundation for accessing necessary healthcare, participating in therapy, and engaging in community support systems. It also reduces exposure to environmental stressors and dangers, such as violence and substance availability, which can impede recovery efforts.
Our program offers immediate access to housing and mental health services, ensuring that individuals can begin their recovery process in a safe and supportive environment.
Addressing homelessness among individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders requires a comprehensive approach that includes the provision of sustainable housing options. Such initiatives are essential for facilitating recovery, improving quality of life, and promoting long-term stability for this vulnerable population.
Mental Health Counseling
Mental health is a critical concern in Tacoma, Washington, with recent statistics highlighting the urgency for comprehensive support services. In 2022, Washington state reported approximately 1,243 deaths by suicide, equating to a rate of 14.9 per 100,000 residents. Additionally, the Seattle-Tacoma area has the second-highest suicide attempt rate among the 33 largest U.S. metropolitan areas.
In response to these challenges, Tacoma offers a range of mental health services designed to support individuals through personalized care plans. These services include:
Group and One-on-One Counseling: Providing both individual and group therapy sessions to address various mental health concerns.
Assessments: Conducting thorough evaluations to understand each individual's mental health needs.
Treatment Planning: Developing customized treatment plans tailored to the specific needs of each individual.
Sustainable Discharge Plans: Creating long-term strategies to ensure continued support and stability after treatment.
These services aim to empower individuals to manage their mental health effectively and lead fulfilling lives.
Substance Abuse Counseling
Substance abuse remains a significant concern in Tacoma, Washington, with the city experiencing a notable increase in overdose deaths in recent years. In 2021, Washington state reported 1,619 opioid-related overdose deaths, nearly doubling from 827 in 2019. (doh.wa.gov)
The need for effective substance abuse counseling services is more urgent than ever. With the rising number of overdoses and the devastating effects of addiction on individuals and families, comprehensive support services are crucial. Substance abuse counseling provides individuals with the necessary tools to overcome addiction, regain control of their lives, and reduce the risks of overdose, relapse, and long-term health complications. These services are not just about treating addiction—they are about saving lives and fostering long-term recovery and stability.
Key services such as:
Group and One-on-One Counseling: Help individuals process their struggles, gain insights, and receive emotional support, whether in a group setting or through more personalized, one-on-one care.
Assessments: Identify the severity of substance use issues, allowing for tailored interventions and appropriate treatment strategies.
Treatment Planning: Create customized plans to address unique challenges, providing a structured path toward recovery.
Sustainable Discharge Plans: Ensure individuals are equipped with ongoing support and coping mechanisms to maintain progress beyond treatment, minimizing the likelihood of relapse.
These services are vital in addressing the escalating substance abuse crisis in Tacoma. Without them, many individuals face an uncertain future, trapped in the cycle of addiction. Comprehensive treatment and recovery services provide hope, opportunity, and a chance for individuals to rebuild their lives and contribute positively to their communities.
Peer Counseling Services
Peer support services are essential in mental health and substance use counseling, providing individuals with a unique source of guidance, empathy, and understanding. Peer counselors, who have lived experience with mental health or substance use challenges, offer support that is grounded in shared experience, fostering trust and making it easier for clients to open up. These counselors play a critical role not only in emotional and motivational support but also in connecting individuals to vital resources.
Beyond counseling, peer counselors assist clients in accessing housing resources, helping them attend important appointments such as health, dental, DSHS (Department of Social and Health Services), and Social Security. They are also instrumental in supporting clients to secure funding or employment, which are key to sustaining stable housing. Additionally, peer counselors help individuals pursue educational goals by assisting them in enrolling in college classes or completing their high school education through a GED. They also help clients obtain essential identification documents, such as IDs and Social Security cards, which are necessary for daily life and gaining employment. By providing this holistic support, peer counselors empower individuals to overcome obstacles, build self-sufficiency, and ultimately work toward long-term stability and success.
Addiction & Mental Health Medication Management
At our mental health and substance use facility, we provide comprehensive care that includes medication management for opioid abuse (excluding methadone) and psychiatric medications. Our goal is to support individuals in overcoming substance use disorders and managing mental health conditions through personalized, evidence-based treatment plans. We offer medically assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction, utilizing FDA-approved medications such as buprenorphine and naltrexone, along with psychiatric medications for mental health stability.
In Washington state, medically assisted treatment has proven to be highly effective, with studies showing that MAT can reduce opioid overdose deaths by over 50%. Since the implementation of MAT programs, thousands of lives have been saved, highlighting the critical role of this treatment approach in combatting the opioid crisis. Furthermore, research shows that individuals receiving MAT have a significantly higher success rate in maintaining long-term recovery, with enhanced overall well-being and a reduction in criminal activity and relapse.
We are committed to offering compassionate, effective care that helps individuals regain control over their lives, while addressing both their substance use and mental health needs. With our integrated approach, clients have the opportunity to heal and achieve lasting recovery.
