Commitment to Mental Wellness
Boys & Girls Club of King County is committed to meeting the needs of youth. We are implementing behavioral and Mental Health professional services to establish organizational structures, day-to-day practices and policies, staff training, one on one clinical support, and provide cultural approaches to serve the diverse youth and staff. We are establishing metrics to measure the effectiveness of the services.
At Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, we've dedicated our efforts during and post-pandemic to collaborate closely with Mental Health specialists in understanding the dynamic mental health needs at our Clubs, both for youth members and for our staff. In response to these insights, we've teamed up with our Mental Health Committee and community partners to establish a comprehensive framework that caters to youth of all age groups, from teens to elementary-aged kiddos. This initiative encompasses training for youth development professionals, equipping them to optimally support Club youth. The framework integrates evidence-based interventions and programs to fortify the mental wellness of both youth and staff.
Behavioral Health Specialist
In each Club, this role specializes in the social-emotional behavior of youth, offering critical support to youth in need, training staff, collaborating with educators on Individualized Educational Plans (IEP), aiding in parent meetings, and crafting plans to ensure youth success.
Licensed Clinical Therapists
Clinicians offer individual therapy to youth identified by the Behavioral Health Specialist or, for those 13 and older, self-referred, ensuring one-on-one support within the Club.
Mental Wellness Director
A licensed Mental Health specialist with expertise in youth and educational settings, who spearheads the Club’s Mental Wellness program, aiding partners and team members, designing performance metrics, shaping Club environments, and fostering strong ties with school districts for enhanced support.
Mental Health Committee
Charting our future course, Boys & Girls Clubs of King County proudly introduced in 2022 a distinguished and diverse assembly of local Mental Health experts from the community. This committee stands as both a consultative platform and a reservoir of profound expertise in Mental Wellness to help guide and shape our Mental Wellness program.
- Katrina Carleton, Director of School Partnerships, Seneca Family of Agencies
- Kendrick Davis, Boys & Girls Clubs of King County Area Director
- Brooks Einstein, Key Bank, Boys & Girls Clubs of King County Board Member
- Mark Fadool, Director of the NPSA Foundation, and former Clinical Director at Seattle Children's Odessa Brown Clinic
- Stacy Hoover, MNLP, King County Leadership Development Team Lead, Learning and Development
- Abby Kensok, Director of Counseling Services, The Brooks Powers Group
- Delaney Knottnerus, MSW, King County School Based: Screening, Brief Intervention, & Referral To (SB:SBIRT) Prevention Specialist
- Marti Liddell, Internal Medicine Physician (retired), Polyclinic, YouthForce Club Advisory Board President
- Alex Mehling, LMHC, Director of Strategic Engagement, Seneca Family of Agencies
- Jill Patnode, MSW, Kaiser Permanente Community Health and Thriving Schools Manager
- Julie Prentice, Mental Health Advocate
- Caroline Renkin, M.Ed., BCBA. Assistant Director of School Behavior Services, The Brooks Powers Group
- Cynthia Ricks-Maccotan, Community Integration Program Manager Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, Boys & Girls Clubs of King County Board Member
- Tanisha Scott, SE Network
- Georganna Sedlar, Clinical Psychologist, University of Washington
Our Mental Wellness Partners
Boys & Girls Clubs of King County
Mental Health Awareness Month 2023
What is the best way to deliver programs that youth want and need? Ask them. At Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, we’re looking to the teens as experts on the issues they face today and what kind of support they need from the caring adults around them. Thirteen teen leaders representing our 30 Clubs come together as the Teen
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Calm Down Spaces – Mental Health in our Clubs!
Boys & Girls Clubs of King County is dedicated to creating safe and healthy environments for all of our youth. Over...
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