Lifeline Connections Bellingham Office

Lifeline Connections Bellingham Office is an outpatient addiction treatment center in Bellingham, Washington that provides general and intensive outpatient care for substance use and dual mental health disorders.

They are a nonprofit facility. Treatment includes counseling and medication assisted treatment with buprenorphine and naltrexone as well as peer support and telehealth options for adults and adolescents.

Two things make their services unique. They offer nationally rare services for deaf and hard of hearing clients and have a walk-in entry model that removes appointment barriers.

ASL Fluent Addiction Counselors

This is not interpreter mediated treatment.

Lifeline Connections' Bellingham Office is one of only a few substance use outpatient programs in the nation with counselors who are deaf or hard of hearing themselves and are fluent in American Sign Language.

This changes the fundamentals of care.

The counseling staff shares the client's language and lived communication experience directly during group therapy and client counseling and treatment plans happen in ASL without a third party in the room.

Walk-In Assessments and Same Week MAT

The center runs open access assessments.

These are offered Monday through Thursday from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. with no prior appointment required while a separate Medication Assisted Recovery Rapid Response program offers walk-in hours for buprenorphine or naltrexone treatment.

This is convenient for someone who is ready to seek help. They can be assessed and start a medication pathway the same week rather than waiting on a scheduled intake and former clients praise the life changing impact of the Suboxone program.

MAT is available on Mondays from noon to 3 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The office serves Skagit and Whatcom as well as Island counties.