Mental Health Awareness: Promoting Community Resources and Preventative Care
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to elevate the conversation around mental
well-being and connect our community with critical resources. The urgency of this work is
clear. The 2024 Healthy Youth Survey reports rising levels of depression and anxiety among
K- 12 students in our region. In South Snohomish County, Center for Human Services (CHS)
and Dawson Place Child Advocacy Center, are two examples of organizations working to
expand access to mental health care and create safer, healthier environments for youth
and families.

Since 1970, the Center for Human Services has supported youth and families through a
range of culturally responsive and trauma-informed programs. Their Verdant funded
school-based mental health services within the Edmonds School District ensure that
students receive care where they spend most of their time. By embedding therapists and
case managers in 21 local schools and planning for further growth, CHS is ensuring more
students can access timely care before a crisis occurs.

For children facing trauma from abuse, CHS’s approach blends individual therapy with
group services, psychoeducation, and parent support to meet students and families
wherever they are in their wellness journey. Thanks to expanded outreach, CHS is
addressing critical access gaps, especially among BIPOC, immigrant, and refugee
communities by offering programs in both English and Spanish and tailoring support to
reflect community needs. Parenting classes, stress management workshops, and support
groups are just a few of the ways CHS is building mental health awareness and resilience.

Dawson Place offers comprehensive healing under one roof. Serving over 1,000 new child
abuse victims annually, Dawson Place brings together six co-located agencies, including
medical, legal, mental health, and advocacy services, to provide everything a child needs
to find safety, justice, and healing at no cost. Their child-centered environment, complete
with therapeutic facility dogs and welcoming spaces, helps young clients feel seen, safe,
and supported. Dawson Place also invests in prevention. Through outreach events and
parenting education programs, they help families build the knowledge and skills needed to
protect children and support their development.

Both CHS and Dawson Place are key partners in Verdant’s mission to improve access to
child, adolescent and young adult mental health care and build a healthier South
Snohomish County. By combining prevention, intervention, and compassionate care, they
are changing lives.

To learn more or access services:

• Center for Human Services: chs-nw.org
• Dawson Place: dawsonplace.org
• The ACCESS Project: HOME | The ACCESS Project
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County: Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County
• The Clearwater School Well Being Center: Well Being Center — The Clearwater School
• Community Health Worker Coalition for Migrants and Refugees: Public Health | Chwcmr | Washington
• Edmonds School District: School Based Health Center – Edmonds School District
• Korean Community Service Center: Korean Community Service Center WA 한인생활상담소
• Oceania Northwest: Oceania Northwest
• Project Girl Mentoring Project: Project Girl Mentoring Program
• Washington Kids in Transition: Washington Kids in Transition: Meeting needs of homeless children
• Washington West African Center: Washington West African Center (WAWAC) – Washington West African Center (WAWAC)

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