Search Results

< Back Comment: 988 crisis line will help, but care needed after call By Kailey Fiedler-Gohlke / For The Herald Jul 31, 2022 The new mental health crisis lines can be backed with services and supports using a clubhouse model. As the new 988 mental health hotline rolls out across the country, there’s growing concern among officials and advocates alike that the system is not ready to meet demand. In Washington, one of only four states that managed to pass comprehensive legislation ( House Bill 1477 ) to sustainably fund its 988 call centers, the outlook surprisingly isn’t any better. Already, more than a third of crisis calls made in Washington are rerouted out of state to backup centers, where operators inevitably won’t be as familiar with local needs or resources. The state continues to struggle to fill call center jobs and the situation only stands to get worse as more people turn to 988 for help. The hope is that 988 will eventually allow people experiencing a mental health emergency to easily reach a trained crisis counselor 24 hours a day, seven days a week, via call, text, or chat, and be met by mobile crisis teams; drastically reducing police involvement on mental health calls to the few, limited circumstances when public safety is at risk. But our vision for mental health care shouldn’t start and stop at the moment of crisis. We need a more comprehensive and compassionate continuum of services, one that holistically supports a person’s wellbeing, and works to prevent crises to begin with. As the chief executive officer of HERO House NW, a group of clubhouses based in Bellevue, Everett and Seattle, I’ve seen firsthand how our model of care has been able to help people whose lives have been disrupted by mental illness to recover and thrive. Clubhouses like ours provide a safe, dedicated environment for people living with serious mental illness, where they can get access to practical services — including job training, housing support, education and affordable, healthy meals — that consider all of a person’s needs, not just their clinical ones. While medication and therapy treat the symptoms of serious mental illness, clubhouses address the deep social isolation that so often accompanies these conditions. By bringing people into an intentional community and building the necessary trust, we’re able to work with members to improve their health without turning to coercion and forced treatment, all while reducing the negative impacts of incarceration, homelessness and neglect that people with serious mental illness disproportionately face. This approach, rooted in respect and human dignity, has a long, proven history of incredible results ever since Fountain House first pioneered the model in the late 1940s. To this day, clubhouse members are more likely to be employed and stably housed, and have lower health care costs than others living with serious mental illness. For Lisa, a member of Bellevue Clubhouse, our community gave her the confidence, acceptance and strength of purpose to make major changes in her life, including going back to school. She’s now joined our board as a clubhouse representative working to aid others in their recovery and tells me that: “We may have to deal with a serious mental illness for the rest of our lives, but we can still have meaningful lives, one day at a time.” While 988 won’t be perfect overnight, it shows there’s bipartisan support among state officials, policy makers and the public at large to advance mental health care; working towards a continuum of services that should leverage the power of clubhouse communities as an important tool for a person’s recovery. To accomplish a truly effective care response, we need to give people in crisis more than a number to turn to. Expanding clubhouse capacity should be a critical part of our strategy and approach, recognizing that it’s a model shown to save lives, save money, and improve outcomes with grace. Kailey Fiedler-Gohlke is chief executive officer of HERO House NW in Bellevue, a member-led community for people living with serious mental illness that is modeled after Fountain House and part of Fountain House’s national clubhouse network. Previous Next

< Back New Bipartisan Research: Mental Health Emerging as Top-Priority Issue for Voters Fountain House May 3, 2023 The findings reinforce the immense potential of this moment and marks the launch of the new Healings Minds, Powering Communities campaign to reframe serious mental illness and support community-based solutions. New York, NY — New bipartisan messaging research released by Fountain House as part of its Healing Minds, Powering Communities campaign shows that an overwhelming majority of voters across partisan lines support increasing funding for programs that address serious mental illness (SMI). The national survey, focus groups, and stakeholder interviews — conducted by Lake Research Partners, Black Raspberry Consumer Insights, and Chesapeake Beach Consulting — sought to gauge what Americans think about mental health care and its electoral impact. Findings show that voters across partisan lines are not only concerned about the stigma associated with mental illness and the persistent lack of affordable and accessible treatment, but that mental health is emerging as a top-priority issue that influences their vote. Among our key findings: Voters are looking to elected officials to address serious mental illness — and will reward them when they do. If an elected official increases funding for programs and interventions directed towards mental illness, 76% of voters say they’d be more likely to support them, including 46% who said they’d be much more likely to support them. This holds true across partisan lines, even if it would increase voters’ taxes . While rising costs and inflation remain a dominant concern for a majority of voters, more than seven in 10 (72%) say they would be more likely to vote for an elected official who supports increased funding for serious mental illness interventions and programs. When thinking about healthcare today, 75% of voters say the U.S. spends too little on mental health services . Similarly, 73% say the U.S. spends too little on services for serious mental illness. Many support increased funding for community-based mental health programs (83% support, 59% strongly support) and show even stronger intense support for community-based programs that treat serious mental illness (85% support, 64% strongly support), including clubhouses . Almost half of all voters (47%) have a personal connection to someone with a mental illness — either themselves, a family member, or a close friend. Bolstered by these findings, the new Healing Minds, Powering Communities campaign aims to leverage this unique moment when elected officials and the general public alike are seeking compassionate, well-resourced public policy to address mental illness — and are primed and ready to fund evidence-based approaches for change. The multi-year, collaborative effort brings together a wide tent of stakeholders and partners, including people with lived experience, to advocate for community-based approaches to addressing serious mental illness; expand access to proven interventions and preventative measures; and grow and sustain a movement that reduces stigma and discrimination for people living with SMI. “What makes this campaign different is that it’s for and by people living with serious mental illness and represents, for the first time, a dedicated investment and commitment to restoring our dignity and autonomy,” said Arvind Sooknanan, a member of Fountain House Bronx who also serves on Fountain House’s Board of Directors . “Advancing a true community-based system of care is not only a means to recovery and thriving but can reset the narrative around mental illness from stigma to acceptance.” “We urgently need new paradigms of public investment to make recovery and thriving the center of our policies and practices involving people with serious mental health challenges,” said Ken Zimmerman, CEO of Fountain House . “ Healing Minds, Powering Communities emphasizes that we live in an age of solutions — when they are appropriately supported and resourced — and that prioritizing the voices of people with lived experience is central to combating problematic stereotypes.” Among the partners for the campaign: Clubhouse International and more than 65 local clubhouses spanning 24 states across the country, 1 Million Madly Motivated Moms (1M4), America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the American Public Health Association, Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, Canopy Roots, Center for Justice Innovation, Families USA, ForLikeMinds, Mental Health America of West Central Indiana, the Mental Health Coalition, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS), the Steinberg Institute, the Technical Assistance Collaborative, Vera Institute of Justice, and VOCAL-NY. From May 24-31, 2023, Healing Minds, Powering Communities will host a Community Mental Health Week of Action where clubhouses will be trained and encouraged to open their doors to elected officials, local media, and other stakeholders so they can witness the power of community-based care and its impact on addressing serious mental illness. Other partners will also be promoting the benefits of this proven approach to their networks as a scalable, cost-effective, and more humane way to improve public safety, reduce mental health crises, while minimizing criminal justice involvement and its disparate impact on communities of color. “Clubhouse International is committed to continuing to lead in the effort of providing accessible recovery opportunities to anyone with lived experience of a mental illness by integrating the Clubhouse approach into health systems around the world,” said Joel D. Corcoran, Executive Director and CEO of Clubhouse International . “We are proud to partner in bringing the Healing Minds, Powering Communities advocacy campaign to the U.S.-based Clubhouses to effect policy change that prioritizes person-centered mental health care, and to increase funding for mental health services, such as the Clubhouse Model. This campaign will be instrumental in helping Clubhouses to advocate for their programs. The recent bipartisan research is an important validation for the Clubhouse network and supports what we see every day, that communities benefit from having a Clubhouse. Our vision is that one day there is a Clubhouse in every community.” “As a member-led collective supporting initiatives, programs, and solutions that decriminalize mental illness and reduce interactions between law enforcement and Black community members, we believe those closest to an issue are the individuals with the most insight into the solutions,” said Tansy McNulty, Founder and CEO of 1 Million Madly Motivated Moms (1M4) . “ Healing Minds, Powering Communities advances the evidence-based, person-centered approaches to mental health that we know can make a difference and is importantly led by those with mental illness themselves. We’re proud to stand with and support this effort.” “This new study underscores the high level of public support that exists for the expansion of community-based rehabilitation services and recovery supports that advance the dignity, agency, and connection to community of people with major mental health related challenges, especially for low income individuals and people of color,” said Harvey Rosenthal, CEO of the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS) . “NYAPRS will be a very active member of the campaign’s focus on public, policymaker, and media education: the need is urgent and requires their strong support to take immediate action.” For more information on Fountain House and how we’re supporting people living with serious mental illness through direct services, practice innovation, advocacy, and policy change, visit FountainHouse.org . Fountain House Fountain House is a national mental health nonprofit fighting to improve health, increase opportunity, and end social and economic isolation for people living with serious mental illness. Founded in 1948 in New York City, Fountain House originated the clubhouse model of community mental health that has been replicated more than 300 times in nearly 40 U.S. states and in 30 countries around the world. Previous Next

< Back 5K Early Bird Tickets now on sale! HERO House NW Communications Mar 1, 2022 Tickets for the 2022 HERO House 5K are now on sale! Tickets for the 3rd Annual Everyday HERO 1 in 5K event are now on sale! Register now to take advantage of early bird pricing before April 1st. And stay tuned for the 2022 Run like a HERO logo design! Register at: https://runsignup.com/Race/WA/Redmond/HEROHouse5K Previous Next

< Back HERO House 5K on September 10, 2022 ​ Jun 15, 2022 Register Today! Register now for the 3rd Annual HERO House 5K ! Get your early bird tickets now through Aug. 3rd at https://runsignup.com/Race/WA/Redmond/HEROHouse5K. Previous Next

< Back Press Release: WA State Legislative Wins Kailey Fiedler-Gohlke, MA, CRC, Chief Executive Officer Apr 26, 2021 New initiatives approved by Washington Legislature put care in the lead for responding to mental health emergencies VIEW PRESS RELEASE: WA State Legislative Wins As the U.S. looks to reform policing, care response to mental health calls is a key way to prevent violence, save lives and insure that people get the help they need. SEATTLE — Several key investments and legislation were approved by the Washington State Legislature this session that will position care response as a key model for responding to emergency calls that can escalate into violent and deadly confrontations. “Too often when we send law enforcement to respond to mental health emergencies, they result in violent conflicts,” said Kailey Fiedler-Gohlke, MA, CRC, chief executive officer of HERO House NW. “These new investments help create an alternative, where we send care responders, rather than police, to handle these calls and have a dedicated alternative call number from 911.” HERO House operates three Clubhouses in the Seattle area. Clubhouses are an innovative community-based model that supports people living with serious mental illness step out of the shadows of social isolation and join a community that works with them to identify and achieve their goals, while supporting basic needs such as healthcare and housing. The need for alternatives is urgent, Fiedler-Gohlke said. According to a journal review of the Washington Post's officer-involved shootings database, at least 1 in every 4 people killed in an interaction with law enforcement has a serious mental illness. “Police are being asked to do jobs they were never intended to do, including responding to people who have mental health needs,” Fiedler-Gohlke said. “These investments will help insure that people with mental illness are responded to more safely, by peers and people with medical training.” Legislation and funding approved by the Legislature includes: HB 1477, which creates a statewide “988” hotline and a comprehensive behavioral health crisis response system. Having a separate number from 911 for such emergencies helps ensure care response teams made up of health and mental health professionals and peers can attend appropriate calls and assist people having a mental health crisis. Funding to increase local behavioral health mobile crisis response team capacity and to ensure each region has at least one adult and one children and youth mobile crisis team that is able to respond to calls coming into the 988 crisis hotline established through HB 1477, for better access to treatment sources. ($38.579M) Funding for co-responder grants - including non-law-enforcement first responders - to communities throughout the state to ensure that a mental health practitioner is on the team of personnel responding to an emergency involving a person experiencing behavioral health crises. ($2M) Funding of a Blue Ribbon Commission to be appointed by Gov. Inslee to look at the intersection of the criminal justice and behavioral crisis systems. ($300K) “These policies and allocations create and expand programming that will help people immediately, as well as help us build to a future where we can respond to all mental health emergencies in a caring, appropriate way that treats people safely and with dignity,” FiedlerGohlke said. “It’s also a positive and hopeful response to all the tragedies we’ve seen in recent years and the call to make changes in law enforcement responses.” HERO House is working with its national partner, Fountain House, as part of a multi-state campaign to pursue community-crafted, innovative, care response alternatives that address emergency mental healthcare with a mental health-first approach. “Fountain House is proud to partner with HERO House and other Clubhouses around the country and their members to build a movement for care response. These initiatives in Washington are a model for the nation and a huge win for people in the state who live daily with the challenges of serious mental illness, including risks that come along with law enforcement responses to mental health emergencies,” said Mary Crowley, Chief External Affairs Officer at Fountain House. “We envision a future in which mental health emergencies are treated as the health emergencies they are with support from culturally competent mental health professionals and peers, and prevented with community-based models such as Clubhouses. Washington has made significant strides in both these areas.” Fountain House, based in New York City, is where the Clubhouse model originated 73 years ago, and has since been replicated in 200 jurisdictions around the country, including HERO House. ---- HERO House NW comprises three Mental Health Clubhouses in Bellevue, Everett and Seattle, and uses a psychiatric rehabilitation model that focuses on socialization and community engagement. Every participant, known as a “member,” of the Clubhouse program, has a voice in the running of their Clubhouse. Clubhouses create a safe space where members living with mental illness can step out of the shadows of social isolation and reintegrate into society by becoming gainfully employed, pursuing an education, and obtaining stable housing. https://www.herohousenw.org/ Previous Next

< Back Goal is to open doors for those recovering from mental illness Sharon Salyer Dec 1, 2018 Hero House Everett will be a National Institute of Mental Health clubhouse for rehabilitation. View Article: Goal is to open doors for those recovering from mental illness With mental illness, much like physical illness, there’s often a gap in care after a patient is discharged from a hospital. People with serious mental illnesses can be hospitalized short-term for treatment. But they often need an interim step — “a bridge” as it’s sometimes called — to help them begin to rehabilitate and readjust to their everyday lives and the demands that come with jobs, schooling and parenting. That’s the gap two Everett parents, Harold and Meg McClure, are trying to fill. They saw the need through the experience of their son, Colin, a Jackson High School graduate who had been accepted to the Art Institute of Seattle . “We realized there was something not right going on with him,” Harold McClure said. His problems were diagnosed as schizophrenia. The chronic and severe mental disorder affects how a person thinks and feels, according to the National Institute of Mental Health . It can cause symptoms that lead people to seemingly lose touch with reality. “That was our awaking to mental illness,” Harold McClure said. That led the couple to begin schooling themselves on mental illness. They saw that their son, who was hospitalized twice, and many others needed some kind of interim help after being treated for mental illness. That’s when they learned about Hero House, a national program to help those recovering from mental illness build connections, job readiness, independence and confidence. In Washington, there are Hero House clubhouses in Spokane, Bellevue and Seattle. After the couple toured the Bellevue clubhouse, “we thought why don’t we try to open a clubhouse here in Everett?” Harold McClure said. They have spent the last two years working to build support for the project with help from the National Alliance on Mental Illness Snohomish County and other local mental health organizations, including Hero House NW . The McClures are both retired, he from running his own businesses, and she from her work as a speech therapist in the Everett School District. The Everett project has received a $100,000 state grant. But leasing a space for the clubhouse as well as staffing and operating is estimated to cost about $350,000 a year. The immediate need is to raise about $75,000 to find a place to open the clubhouse and hire a staff member. The McClures hope much of the additional money needed to open the clubhouse can be raised through private donations. Contributions can be made through the website of the nonprofit Hero House NW by designating that it’s for the Everett project. The goal is to hire a program director by Jan. 31. “Then we’re hoping that maybe by spring we can open a couple days a week,” Meg McClure said. “We’re very excited.” Adults would be referred to the program by a counselor or doctor. Clubhouse programs are for rehabilitation but not treatment. One of the goals is to help people rejoin the workforce, if they can. This might start with a 20-hour-a-week job, Meg McClure said. Prospective employers are told that if the employee isn’t able to come to work for any reason, a clubhouse staff member will complete the shift. “The employer is never left holding the bag,” Harold McClure said. Club members are helped with tasks such as job searches, interviewing techniques and signing up for classes. “It is so challenging to find places to connect for people who have mental illness,” said Lisa Utter, executive director of Snohomish County’s NAMI chapter. Those trying to cope with mental illness and depression often must also contend with loneliness. “The social isolation is huge,” Utter said. Compass Health once ran a clubhouse in Snohomish County, but had to abandon the program in the late 1990s when its government funding was cut. This despite Compass acting as a West Coast training center for other communities seeking to open similar programs. Nationally, the clubhouses that have been most successful are those where its members govern themselves and operate the program, said Tom Sebastian, Compass Health’s executive director. Establishing a clubhouse in Everett “will really fill a gap we’ve had since the time we had to close the clubhouse we had,” he said. The McClure’s son, Colin, 29, now living in Eastern Washington, is pursuing his interest in art through personal cartooning. Once the clubhouse opens, they hope he can move back to the area and participate in its programs. Harold McClure said in addition to helping his son and others, his own experience also has played a role in his commitment to the clubhouse project. An Irish immigrant, he came to America in 1981. “I want to make a contribution to the community,” he said. “This is a place that I feel there is a need. Nobody is going to do it, so why not us?” More info Email info@everettclubhouse.org for more information on Hero House Everett. Make a donation Contributions may be made at the website www.herohousenw.org . Click on the Seattle or Bellevue link, and then look for a donate button. Designate that the contribution to the Everett clubhouse under the special instructions section. Previous Next

< Back ‘Stop criminalizing mental health crises,’ says Hero House NW CEO DAVE ROSS BY KIRO NEWSRADIO STAFF Dec 27, 2021 ​ VIEW ARTICLE: ‘Stop criminalizing mental health crises,’ says Hero House NW CEO Jails have become de facto mental health institutions, but the question is, what do we do about it? Is there a way to handle somebody having a mental breakdown without calling the police, and is there a way to get that person healthy? A KIRO Radio listener who has an adult son living with mental illness says they’ve learned that the police are not a good way to handle cases like this, and recommended that Dave Ross speak with Kailey Fiedler-Gohlke, chief executive officer of an institution called Hero House NW . “Hero House NW is comprised of three clubhouses,” Fiedler-Gohlke explained. “We follow a psychiatric model of rehabilitation. So we’re really kind of that next step after clinical treatment, when people get to see their psychiatrists and their doctors. We really kind of add that community, that social community that’s often lacking with people diagnosed and living with mental illness.” “As we know, isolation is a huge key factor, it’s a big symptom of mental illness,” she added. “So we’ve created some really well-rounded communities for people to attend on a day to day basis to really get connected with others and to not be alone in the community.” The clubhouses are not places where people live. Members participate “at their own whim,” and get to decide how they use the clubhouse, Fiedler-Gholke said. “Often, in a clinical treatment, you have the patient versus the doctor, the provider. And oftentimes people don’t have ownership of their own recovery, and the clubhouse offers that,” she described. “Members pick and choose how they utilize the clubhouse, with which staff they work.” The clubhouse model does not differentiate based on people’s level of functioning or diagnosis, Fiedler-Gholke noted. The only requirement to enter and become a member is that you have a history of a diagnosed mental illness. “That being said, we do have what we like to call our one rule within our community is to not disrupt or impact the recovery of another, meaning we don’t want to have people in the community that are having violent behaviors or that they’re unsafe to themselves or others,” she said. Fiedler-Gholke says there have been hundreds of research articles written about Hero House NW and the clubhouse model. Outcomes have shown a reduced hospitalization rate of members versus non-members, reduced incarceration rates, and higher job placement rates. “We even have higher rates of people returning to school and graduating,” she said. Alternative to a police response Over the past year and a half, Hero House NW has been focusing more attention on alternative ways to handle a mental health crisis, instead of calling 911. “We’ve noticed that a lot of our members have had really traumatic interactions with police, and it resulted in incarceration or being basically tossed in a county jail,” Fiedler-Gholke told Seattle’s Morning News. “And it was all because they were having a mental health crisis. So I think when we approach something like this, we need — of course, it’s a very big question, and it’s not a simple answer to solve this — I think we need to have a care response model.” She explains that while police are needed in the community, there also needs to be a care response model that is comprised of peers and people trained to handle these crises. “We know next summer there’s going to be a new phone number coming out called 988 ,” she added. “It’s going to be a mental health crisis number. Instead of calling 911, people can call 988.” Over the past year and a half, Hero House NW has been focusing more attention on alternative ways to handle a mental health crisis, instead of calling 911. “We’ve noticed that a lot of our members have had really traumatic interactions with police, and it resulted in incarceration or being basically tossed in a county jail,” Fiedler-Gholke told Seattle’s Morning News. “And it was all because they were having a mental health crisis. So I think when we approach something like this, we need — of course, it’s a very big question, and it’s not a simple answer to solve this — I think we need to have a care response model.” She explains that while police are needed in the community, there also needs to be a care response model that is comprised of peers and people trained to handle these crises. “We know next summer there’s going to be a new phone number coming out called 988 ,” she added. “It’s going to be a mental health crisis number. Instead of calling 911, people can call 988.” But there has also been discussion around how to respond to mental health crises in the first place. “They’re trying out many different pilots , but one proven method that’s actually been going on for 40 years is called the CAHOOTS model down in Eugene, Oregon,” Fiedler-Gholke said. “A lot of us are trying to get that model up here in Washington because the biggest thing is we don’t want people to have to go to jail. We should stop criminalizing mental health crises.” The idea of a program like CAHOOTS is that if someone is acting out or having a tough time, as Fiedler-Gholke explains, a team that’s familiar with how to de-escalate similar situations should be the ones to respond. Hero House NW has three clubhouses in Bellevue, Seattle, and Everett, and has plans to expand to nine more clubhouses across Washington state. “They won’t be under us, but they will be part of the clubhouse community,” Fiedler-Gholke said. “I think we need a clubhouse in every single community and we need those to be there for people. Because when you don’t have the appropriate services and you have the bare minimum, then that’s where that cycle starts because they can’t access the proper treatment and they don’t have anything pre- and post-hospitalization, if it gets to that point.” Previous Next

< Back Thank you to our event partner Colburn Law! ​ Jul 15, 2022 Our 5K Event Partner With much appreciation, we express gratitude to our 5K event partners Coburn Law! Previous Next

< Back Opinion: Behavioral health professionals are key to addressing crisis Kailey Fiedler-Gohlke and Kim Rettig – Contributing writers Apr 10, 2021 ​ View Article: Opinion: Behavioral health professionals are key to addressing crisis In the wake of too many tragedies nationwide, Seattle and many other cities are re-examining how they respond to mental health emergencies. It’s clear that we must respond to these crises with trained caregivers and not law enforcement officers who have a different charge. As a person living with serious mental illness and as the director of a mental health clubhouse working with people to successfully chart their lives after such a diagnosis, we know all too well what it can mean to have a mental health emergency. Imagine what it is like to feel highly anxious, to be paranoid about situations that feel normal to others, even to hear voices, only to confront someone in a police uniform. We have observed the often deadly outcomes of police encounters with individuals in mental health crises. At least one of every four people killed in an interaction with law enforcement has a serious mental health diagnosis, according to a 2015 report from the Treatment Advocacy Center. Black and Indigenous people and other communities of color continue to be disproportionately impacted by these instances, further exacerbating the racial inequities in our system. When in crisis, people experiencing intense amounts of anxiety and stress act out of fear or misinterpret situations, inadvertently jeopardizing the safety of themselves, or those nearby. These situations can escalate into violence, and too often are the front door to misguided incarceration. For the best outcome, mental health crises should be treated for what they are: health emergencies, not crimes. The status quo is not a paradigm that works for anyone. Police recognize that they are being asked to do jobs they were never intended to do: responding to people who have mental health needs or who are homeless. Many in the law enforcement community acknowledge that their training is not always best suited to addressing many of these situations. The solution is to develop health-focused models and personnel for responding to these situations — what we call care responders. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and the Seattle City Council took a step in the right direction on this issue at the end of 2020 by expanding Seattle’s Health One program, which uses teams of two firefighters and one case manager to provide specialized outreach, transport and referrals to callers experiencing behavioral health crises, as well as non-emergency medical complaints and those with social service needs. Gov. Jay Inslee and both chambers of the Legislature further demonstrated the state’s commitment to mental health care by proposing investments in mobile crisis response enhancements for the upcoming fiscal year that align with our care response principles. Legislative leaders are working with stakeholders to implement a coordinated “988” crisis hotline center and crisis services system that will save lives by improving access to behavioral health crisis services. Seattle leaders should be applauded for expanding this promising, vital program. And Inslee and the Legislature deserve praise for prioritizing the care response model with critical funding in the budget. But with the stakes this high, we can’t can’t stop there. Health One is a promising approach that can, and should, be built upon in collaboration with city and county leaders across the state. The state Legislature has an opportunity to support and expand care responders programs in communities across our state. Innovation and adequate resources at all levels of government are crucial to expanding this work successfully. Also necessary is working closely with peers — those with lived experience. We must listen to those who are most affected by our flawed emergency response system, hear their stories and engage them in finding solutions. Ideally, we can go beyond this, as some communities have done, by successfully engaging trained peers as part of care-response teams. Working together, decision-makers, stakeholders and those most affected can build new, better response models that lead with care and focus on the best outcomes for all. https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2021/04/09/opinion-behavioral-mental-health-crises-police.html?b=1618006923%5E21874254 Previous Next

< Back 2022 HERO House NW 5K Major Sponsorship Opportunities HERO House NW Communications Mar 8, 2022 Major Sponsorships now available For more information please see our 5K Sponsorship packet or complete the online sponsorship form . If you'd like to register for the 5K event, please go to our registration page . Previous Next

< Back 2022 HERO House NW 5K Event Sponsorship Opportunities HERO House NW Communications Mar 8, 2022 Event Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available For more information please see our 5K Sponsorship packet or complete the online sponsorship form . If you'd like to register for the 5K event, please go to our registration page . Previous Next

< Back 5K Sponsor LOTUS Seattle | NewsRadio 97.7FM | STAR 101.5 | TalkRadio 570AM ​ Jun 30, 2022 Thank you to our Major Sponsor! We're proud to announce that LOTUS Seattle / NewsRadio 97.7FM / STAR 101.5 / TalkRadio 570AM is sponsoring our HERO House 5K as our major advertising sponsor! Register now and join the fun on September 10, 2022 at: https://runsignup.com/Race/WA/Redmond/HEROHouse5K Previous Next