The King County Behavioral Health Supported Employment Program serves 800-900 job seekers per year who have chronic mental health and substance use conditions and are getting back to work with the support of the program. This is just one success story, as told by Stephen McLean and supported employment partners at Sound, a King County contracted provider of mental health and substance use disorders.

After struggling for years with alcohol addiction, Robert moved back to Seattle in 2016 when his mother died in Arizona. Although he was working day labor in construction, he was only receiving minimum wage – not enough to rent an apartment. So he found himself living in Seattle’s infamous “Jungle,” a homeless encampment at South Royal Brougham Way.

“I was determined to get out of that situation,” Robert says, so he stayed out of the mix of personalities in the encampment and focused on work. That all changed when he had a bad, mixed-drug reaction to one dose of Suboxone that landed him in the emergency room at Harborview Medical Center. After his release, he spent several days at Fairfax Hospital in Kirkland, an inpatient behavioral health facility.

From there, he was referred to Sound and assigned to clinician Meagan Narvaez for case management and Leslie Lee, a vocational specialist at Sound working within the King County Behavioral Health Supported Employment Program for job support.

Within six months the team found housing for him in the Central District, and he was one of the first to apply at a new low-income facility. Lee was able to advocate for him and secure a job with Tuxedos & Tennis Shoes Catering. He graduated out of the SEP program in November 2017 after completing 270 days of full-time employment and he now aspires to gain more responsibility within the company.

“I have been blessed,” he says. “I was determined to do anything I had to do to get housing and employment.”

“Working with Robert has been impactful for both of us,” Narvaez emphasizes. “He knew what he wanted, housing and a job, and worked hard to get them. He maintained sobriety, showed up for appointments, and survived. A lot of where Robert is right now comes from his resilience.”

“Robert is a gem,” enthuses Lee. “I knew he was serious and motivated to get a job. He did not want to backslide into homelessness again. We were able to move him into housing and a job very quickly. He has future goals, such as possibly getting another job, traveling, and reconnecting with his family.”

Now that he has a roof over his head and a job that keeps him motivated, Robert is turning to improving other aspects of his life. This includes working on his physical well- being and behavioral health issues.

“I like it here in Seattle,” he says. “I want to save money, take care of myself, and see my family.”

Robert is just one of the many individuals benefiting from the inclusion of employment services in “best practice” behavioral health treatment. For more information about the program, visit www.kingcounty.gov/employmentpartners or contact Lisa Floyd, BHRD Supported Employment Program Manager.

Pictured: The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI)-Eastside provides a MHFA training to Eastside Human Service Agencies in Redmond.

Have you ever run into a stranger on the street that looked like they may be in crisis? Or do you know a family member or friend who struggles with mental health or substance use conditions? Do you wish you knew more about how to help? The Department of Community and Human Services Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD) is implementing a series of “Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Trainings,” a nationally recognized public education campaign to decrease the stigma associated with having a behavioral health condition, such as a mental health and/or substance use condition. 

The goal is to increase the public’s awareness, support, and most of all, acceptance of individuals with mental health and substance use conditions, just as other individuals with any other chronic illness such as cancer or diabetes are supported. The Mental Health First Aid website explains that “Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis.

Mental Health First Aid teaches about recovery and resiliency – the belief that individuals experiencing these challenges can and do get better, and use their strengths to stay well.” 

It goes on to share that in the Mental Health First Aid course, individuals learn about risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. The training covers topics including depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, psychosis, and substance use disorders.  

BHRD has made these trainings available to other King County departments and divisions, community stakeholders such as community based organizations, faith based organizations, schools and members of the public. Individuals or groups can sign up to receive free, eight hour MHFA trainings at external training sites in the community. There is both a MHFA training focusing on adults and a separate training focusing on children, which provides adult attendees with information on children and mental health and substance use. There is also an option for individuals to become trainers themselves by participating in a three day training and committing to provide the MHFA training at least three times a year in the community. These public education trainings are free and open to everyone. Sign up for a training here. 

To learn more about MHFA trainings and how you can help be a part of the awareness, support and acceptance of individuals with behavioral health disabilities, please visit the MHFA website at www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org.