With drug overdoses once again on the rise, King County Substance Use Recovery Conference offers community, hope

June 26, 2025

The King County Substance Use Recovery Conference on Wednesday welcomed nearly 250 attendees for its fifth annual gathering. This year’s conference’s theme was “Together We Can,” focusing on the community support that makes it possible for individuals to find their pathway to recovery.

“Far too many people in King County have had their lives tragically impacted by substance use disorder — whether through their own struggles with drugs or alcohol, or through the struggles of a family member or loved one,” said King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn. “As the number of people dying from overdose sadly begins to trend upward again after a drop last year, it’s critical that we are staying focused on our goal of helping folks find treatment and building a community that supports recovery. This is life-saving work.”

Dunn first launched the King County Conference on Substance Use in 2021 and advocated for dedicated funding for the conference in King County’s 2025 Budget. Dunn, who is representing the King County Council, partnered with Public Health – Seattle & King County, King County Department of Community and Human Services, King County Recovery Coalition, Green River College, and the Muckleshoot Tribe to organize this year’s conference.

“The annual King County Conference on Substance Use and Recovery keeps getting better each year. It’s a true gift to see our community come together to share best practices, stories of hope, and the power of genuine connection,” said Brad Finegood, Strategic Advisor on Behavioral Health for Seattle and King County Public Health. “At the County our resolve is stronger than ever to provide access to treatment and services, to mitigate the impact of a toxic drug supply, and bring recovery within the grasp of anyone in need.”

The Conference brought together treatment service providers, representatives from state, county, city, and tribal governments for discussions on various perspectives of the delivery of recovery and care in South King County, which accounts for 34% of all overdose deaths in King County.

The opening panel, moderated by Councilmember Dunn, brought together State Representative Chris Sterns, Federal Way Judge Dave Larson, and Carlton Buren, Clinical Supervisor at Muckleshoot Behavioral Health. They discussed how governments, non-profits, and courts can work together to remove barriers to recovery.

Other panels included information on helping students and young adults in recovery through Recovery High Schools, the role of higher education addressing substance use recovery, and an update from officials on Crisis Care Centers in King County. The event also featured New York Times bestselling author Maia Szalavitz as a keynote speaker, who discussed destigmatization and the multiple unique paths available to individuals for recovery. In addition, the Muckleshoot Tribe led a demonstration of how to use Narcan to save a life in the case of an overdose. Other speakers shared stories of their own recovery.

Though deaths by overdose in King County trended downward in 2024, they are on the rise again in 2025, largely due to fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid drug that is 50-100 times more powerful than other opioids. At the peak of the crisis, in 2023, 1,340 people died from an overdose in King County — a rate of more than three people a day.

Anyone who is struggling with mental health or substance use disorders can get connected to treatment and resources by calling SAMHSA's National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or the Washington State Recovery Helpline: 1-866-789-1511.