About

I work in the complicated, very human places where substance use treatment, recovery supports,
harm reduction, homelessness, health equity, public funding, and real life meet —
helping shape services that are evidence-based, equity-centered, and sustainable.

i know this work from the inside

I’m Hallie Burchinal — a substance use disorder professional, clinical supervisor, nonprofit founder, and human-services builder based in Spokane, Washington.

My work lives in substance use treatment, recovery supports, peer support, homelessness response, behavioral health, systems navigation, and health equity. I help organizations see where gaps in existing systems are causing real harm, then shape practical ways to close those gaps, remove barriers, build bridges, or create services that meet the need more honestly.

As the founder of two nonprofits, I understand what it means to begin with a need, a hope, and a lot of unanswered questions — then thoughtfully shape that into something people can actually use.

I care about helping organizations build projects that improve equity in real life, not just in a plan or grant narrative. When services are designed with the people most affected, grounded in practical systems, and built to last, they can do more than fill a gap. They can change the fabric of a community.

experience:

what i bring into the room

  • Founding and growing a licensed, equity-focused behavioral-health nonprofit from startup into a multimillion-dollar organization
  • Operating licensed SUD outpatient services with responsibility across clinical care, supervision, documentation, Medicaid billing, staffing, compliance, funding, and program sustainability
  • Recovery-oriented services, including SUD professionals, Peer Support Specialists, outreach workers, and multidisciplinary teams
  • Designing and operating low-barrier SUD, recovery, outreach, and housing-connected services for people experiencing homelessness and crisis
  • Systems navigation across healthcare, behavioral health, housing, justice system, benefits, and community-service systems
  • Building outpatient SUD treatment models, workflows, documentation systems, EHR processes, and implementation plans where existing models did not fit the people being served
  • Securing and implementing public, private, and foundation funding — including budgets, reporting, sustainability planning, and turning awards into operating services
  • LGBTQ+ affirming and culturally responsive substance use and recovery services program design
  • Community-informed project design grounded in real health equity, not assumed equity
  • Cross-system collaboration with funders, providers, housing programs, hospitals, outreach teams, courts, and community partners
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See

I look closely at what is actually happening, identifying how the needs and goals interact.

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shape

I help clarify the problem, the constraints, the people affected, and the possible paths forward.

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build

I develop evidence based, sustainable, innovative programs with implementation plans.

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bridge

I help connect people, programs, funders, requirements, and real-world practice.

Built from the ground up

Founding matters to me because it reflects the kind of work I care most about: noticing where gaps in existing systems are causing real harm, listening to what people actually need, and building services practical enough to survive in the real world.

I founded Compassionate Addiction Treatment and helped grow it from startup into a licensed, multimillion-dollar behavioral-health nonprofit. That work required more than vision. It required developing and operating SUD outpatient services, supervising clinical work, building documentation and Medicaid billing systems, securing funding, managing budgets, supporting teams, navigating compliance, and solving problems where there was no neat roadmap.

I am not interested in equity that only looks good in a grant narrative. I care about services that work when real people, real budgets, real staff capacity, real documentation requirements, and real life all show up at the same time.

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how i work

When I’m asked to help with a significant project, I want to understand more than the assignment on paper. I want to know what the organization hopes to accomplish, who the service is intended for, what known barriers exist, what staff are seeing, what funders require, and what would make the work sustainable after the planning conversation is over.

That often means meeting with leadership to clarify scope and intentions, listening to the people the program is meant to serve, gathering insight from the team already doing the work, and looking closely at the systems around the program — funding, Medicaid billing, documentation, workflows, EHR and other electronic systems, staffing, compliance, partnerships, and capacity.

From there, I help shape options that are creative but grounded. The goal is not a beautiful plan that collapses in real life. The goal is a service that works for people, works for staff, creates meaningful impact, and has a realistic path to keep operating sustainably.

I bring both service-provider experience and executive-level program understanding into that process.

services

ways i can help

Some needs are clearly defined. Others need another experienced perspective. I offer focused support for substance use, recovery, homelessness, harm reduction, behavioral health, and community-serving organizations — from clinical coverage to program design, systems improvement, and funding strategy.

01

Clinical Supervision & Coverage

Short-term SUD clinical-supervision coverage, supervisor consultation, documentation review, and support during planned leave, vacancies, emergencies, or program transitions.

Explore Clinical Support
02

Program Design & Improvement

Support for substance use recovery, peer-support, harm reduction, homelessness, and behavioral-health programs that need clearer workflows, better access, or more sustainable structure.

Explore Program Support
03

Equity-Focused Project
Design

Help shaping grant-funded projects, service models, partnerships, budgets, and implementation plans rooted in real community need and feedback from the people who will use the services.

Explore Projects & Funding

Have something complicated you’re trying to figure out?

Tell me what you’re working with. We can start by seeing whether I’m the right person to help.

start a conversation

I believe equity work has to be grounded in the lives and voices of the people most affected.

Good services need compassion and accountability, relationships and data, creativity and compliance, hope and a realistic operating plan.

That is the grey I work in.