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HSD Announces Funding Awards for Youth Behavioral Health Services

The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is pleased to announce the results of the Youth and Young Adult Behavioral Health RFP which closed May 16, 2022, releasing $938,841 of HSD General Fund dollars for organizations to provide behavioral health support to young people.

Positive young black guy laughing near graffiti wall with rainbow flag
[Photo by Anete Lusina on Pexels]

Funding of these services was last released in 2016 and only allowed for the provision of evidence-based mental health services. For this RFP, HSD responded to community feedback and expanded the scope to include non-residential behavioral health via clinical, evidence-based treatment methods and/or non-clinical, culturally specific approaches that contribute toward holistic mental and behavioral health and wellness.

HSD received 17 proposals totaling $3.57 million in requested funds. Rating committee members had knowledge and professional and lived experience in youth-centered programming, counseling, and chaplaincy work.

The seven-member rating committee supported funding the top eight scoring proposals. All provide services to both BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth via either clinical treatment and/or non-clinical, culturally specific behavioral health approaches:

  1. Southwest Youth and Family Services
  2. Southeast Youth and Family Services
  3. Neighborcare Health
  4. Therapeutic Health Services
  5. Northwest Credible Messenger
  6. Atlantic Street Center
  7. Boys and Girls Clubs of King County
  8. WAPI Community Services

Thank you so much for this welcome news! We look forward to continuing our work to bring behavioral help support to our community.

Steve Daschle, Executive Director, Southwest Youth and Family Services

Southwest Youth and Family Services will provide services that include individual, family, or group therapy and that will be culturally attuned and linguistically appropriate to increase access and reduce disparities for BIPOC youth. Close coordination with Seattle Public Schools in West and South Seattle is designed to improve accessibility for students seeking counseling.

Northwest Credible Messenger will support BIPOC young people through a culturally responsive, behavioral health approach. The program will provide culturally responsive peer support services, counseling for individuals, groups, or families, triage services for youth awaiting treatment, and Healing Centered Engagement that includes meditation, mindfulness, and art-based sessions.

Atlantic Street Center developed the CoRe (Courage, Cooperation, Respect and Resourcefulness) program, an innovative 10-week group workshop using video games to deliver evidence-based therapy that builds interpersonal and emotional regulation skills among diverse, at-risk youth. Interactive games in a peer-learning environment encourage youth to practice coping mechanisms without the normal resistance.

Look for future blog entries highlighting the work of these agencies and the other awardees after contracts begin next year.