Snohomish County Council on Wednesday approved an interlocal agreement with the City of Lynnwood to place a Snohomish County outreach-team social worker inside local police departments.
The agreement, authorized by motion 25-225, covers Aug. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2026, and approves $325,231 for services to be paid by the City of Lynnwood. The contract funds a 1.0 full-time-equivalent social worker from Aug. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2024, and a 0.5 FTE from Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2026. Council staff said an additional contract is anticipated to cover Mountlake Terrace’s share of program costs and the remaining 0.5 FTE for 2025–26.
Cynthia Foley, council staff, presented the proposal and summarized the scope and funding arrangements to the council. Council members made and seconded the motion; the council approved the interlocal agreement unanimously, 5–0.
Why it matters: the agreement embeds a social worker within local police operations in Lynnwood (and later Mountlake Terrace) to provide a co-response model intended to connect residents to behavioral-health and social services through outreach-team activity. The county staff presentation specified that all contract costs in the current agreement are the responsibility of the City of Lynnwood.
Supporting details: the staff report presented at the meeting lists the contract period, the FTE schedule (1.0 FTE for the latter half of 2024, 0.5 FTE thereafter), and the total Lynnwood-funded amount of $325,231. The council’s action authorizes the county executive to sign the interlocal agreement and any subsequent amendments.
Next steps: council staff said a second agreement anticipated from Mountlake Terrace would come before the council to authorize additional program costs and to fund the remaining 0.5 FTE for 2025–26.