Introducing Mainstream Republicans of Washington's brand new podcast, The Big Tent! Join host John Michael Graves as he interviews elected officials and leaders in Washington State.

The podcast's first series is titled, "What It Means To Be A Northwest Republican". For this week's episode, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn sat down with us to discuss an issue close to his heart - behavioral health and substance abuse in King County and Washington State. Tune in and learn more about Mayor Nehring's work as mayor and what being a Republican leader in Washington State means to him.

Hit the follow button to receive updates on all upcoming episodes!

Show Notes:

Washington State adds legal protections for recovery program sponsors

In 2016, Councilmember Reagan Dunn was the primary advocate and author of Washington State legislation that ensured those seeking treatment from addiction have a protected relationship with their sponsors. This legislation passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, enshrining in law the confidential relationship between a recovering addict and their sponsor, and solidifying the safe environment that addicts require in order to recover. With the passage of this bill, Washington became the first state in the nation to add legal protections for those in fellowship recovery programs.

First Annual King County Conference on Addiction Disorders

Councilmember Dunn hosted the first King County Conference on Addiction Disorders in the spring of 2021, where the public heard from behavioral health experts on substance use issues and provided resources for those needing help. This Conference brought over 200 participants. A County proclamation was presented to raise awareness of mental health issues, which often occurs in conjunction with substance use and addiction disorders.

Protecting online recovery support groups from unauthorized recording or disruption

Councilmember Reagan Dunn sponsored legislation to create a legal action if someone secretly records, hacks, or disrupts an online recovery meeting without authorization or consent. Behavioral health recovery groups rely on creating safe spaces for individuals to discuss their ongoing recovery. This legislation was created to preserve privacy for those attending recovery meetings in the virtual environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anti-Stigmatization Awareness Campaign

Councilmember Reagan Dunn partnered with Councilmember Kohl-Welles to obtain $500,000 funding for a first in class public awareness campaign focused on de-stigmatizing substance use disorder. The goal of this campaign is to educate the public on substance use disorder as a treatable medical condition and encourage those seeking recovery to ask for help. This campaign followed an anti-stigmatization session at Councilmember Dunn’s first annual Conference on Addiction Disorders in the spring of 2021.

02: King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn

The Big TentBy Mainstream Republicans of WashingtonOct 27, 2021