12-bed facility opens to help jail releases in Clark County
The Landing Pad provides 24-hour support and housing for adults leaving Clark County Jail with behavioral health needs.
By Sanjay Caldwell ·
A new 12-bed transitional housing facility began operating in August to assist adults leaving Clark County Jail. The site, known as the Landing Pad, is located in Vancouver and remains staffed around the clock.
Anna Lookingbill, the jail programs manager at Clark County Jail Services, described the initiative as a voluntary program. She stated that the primary goal is to support individuals with behavioral health needs. Lookingbill noted that the program aims to prevent these residents from moving into homelessness immediately after release.
Peer mentors from the Coastal Community Action Program provide the continuous staffing at the facility. These mentors have lived experience with incarceration. Their duties include transporting new arrivals from the jail to the Vancouver site. They also work to connect residents with essential services, such as permanent housing and substance use treatment.
Jennifer Sumait serves as the reentry program manager for the Coastal Community Action Program. She and Lookingbill discussed the operational details and the current impact of the Landing Pad on the local reentry system.
The facility represents a specific response to the gap between jail release and long-term housing stability for a targeted group of residents.
