During Black History Month, we honor and celebrate the achievements of Black people and the importance of providing equitable access to care. Mental illness affects 1 in 4 Americans, and due to systemic racism, and the effects of trauma and violence, Black people are more likely to experience chronic and persistent -- rather than episodic -- mental health conditions, while at the same time, lacking access to care. Importantly, Black people have pioneered innovative and culturally competent treatments and services to promote well-being.

To celebrate Black History Month, we are paying tribute to the generations of Black individuals who have made lasting contributions to the field of mental health. Visit Mental Health America's online resources to learn more about these extraordinary contributors and find additional background on Mental Health Resources For Black and African American Communities.

Compass Health is pleased to announce its 2021 board of directors, naming Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory to board chair and adding Macaulay Ivory and Alex de Soto as board members.

Woolf-Ivory, who has served on the Compass Health board since 2017, is known regionally for her three-decade tenure at the Sno-Isle Library system. As the organization’s executive director since 2002, Woolf-Ivory led the development and implementation of library services for 770,000 residents across Snohomish and Island Counties.

Joining Woolf-Ivory are new board members, Macaulay Ivory and Alex de Soto. Ivory is an associate attorney at Kilpatrick Townsend specializing in complex commercial litigation. De Soto, a partner and search practice leader at CFO Solutions, is returning after serving as a member of the Compass Health board and part of the Finance, Audit Investment Committee from 2012 – 2017.

We’re excited to host Seattle Veterinary Outreach outside our Broadway Campus in Everett on Friday, February 19, 2021 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Seattle Veterinary Outreach is a mobile team that provides veterinary services for pets owned by homeless and low-income individuals and families in the Puget Sound region. Their mission is to provide compassionate mobile veterinary care so homeless people and their pets can thrive together. This service is reserved for pets of people living homeless or low income. Income is verified at clinics. Please bring your SNAP, EBT, WIC, SSDI or TANF card.

We’re excited to announce that Compass Health is part of a new behavioral health collective focused on advocacy and leadership, Fourfront Contributor. Joining us are fellow community behavioral health providers Comprehensive Healthcare, Frontier Behavioral Health and Sound, creating a footprint that spans Northwest Washington to Spokane.

Fourfront Contributor members will utilize their collective size and expertise to improve the health of individuals, communities and the systems that serve them. Part of our work includes engaging lawmakers to advocate for sound policies and necessary funding; serving clients by developing practical, scalable and evidence-based models of care; working with payers to advocate for adequate funding to support community behavioral health services; and supporting providers by advancing knowledge and best practices across service areas.

We look forward to sharing more about Fourfront Contributor and the advances we’re making to support the communities we serve. In the meantime, find more at www.fourfrontcontributor.org.

We’ve assembled a list of COVID vaccine resources from state and local providers that outlines upcoming phases and eligibility. We’re updating this page regularly, so check in to learn more about the vaccine rollout and potential next steps.