For most of his 36 years, Seth Parksion has dealt with panic attacks, anxiety, and delusions that kept him from doing many of the things he wanted to do in life. And for just as long, he’s struggled to get mental health care that works for him.

These days, however, getting help is as easy as leaving his apartment at Solid Ground’s Sand Point Housing and walking a few dozen feet down that hall. That’s where Seth has his weekly Friday-morning sessions with Ruben Rivera-Jackman, a behavioral health counselor with more than two decades of experience.

“I’ve never been comfortable sharing everything with a therapist until I met Ruben,” Seth says. “I’m entirely comfortable with Ruben – I feel like I could share anything with him.” 

Seth, who’s lived in Sand Point Housing since 2019, was among the first people to take advantage of a new initiative at Solid Ground aimed at dismantling barriers that keep people from getting the behavioral health support they need. We launched the project last year after hearing through our Community Needs Assessment that a lack of access to mental health care in our community was one of the top barriers keeping people from attaining employment, housing, and long-lasting stability in their lives. 

Unmet behavioral health needs disproportionately impact people living in poverty

“All kinds of people need mental health services, no matter how much money they make,” says Solid Ground CEO Shalimar Gonzales. “But what we’ve heard from our community is that people experiencing poverty and homelessness are having a particularly hard time getting the help they need – and that lack of support is another barrier keeping them from living the lives they want to live.” 

Mental illness is frequently intertwined with experiences of homelessness, both contributing to and resulting from it. Studies* show that as many as two out of every three people who experience homelessness also struggle with some kind of mental health disorder, and most aren’t able to get appropriate treatment because of cost, lack of insurance, and struggles with getting to and keeping appointments while homeless.  And those issues don’t go away when people finally get into a new home. 

Space and stability to care for the whole person

“We have folks who have been chronically homeless, out on the streets for months or years, experiencing trauma, domestic violence, all kinds of life situations that most likely did not get addressed when they were out there,” says Dee Hillis, Solid Ground Residential Services Director. “When they come to Sand Point, they are finally at a place where they have some stability in their lives, and that’s an opportunity to start working on their mental wellbeing.” 

That’s why we’ve spent the last year partnering with established behavioral health providers to bring a variety of services directly to Sand Point, where they’re now available to all residents for free. In addition to Ruben, who provides counseling services for residents every Friday, residents now have free access to onsite peer counseling, behavioral therapy for youth, grief counseling, online support groups, and more. 

We’re able to offer these services for free thanks to key investments this year by Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and the Wyncote Foundation NW. With their support, we’re also able to conduct regular behavioral health screenings, train staff on behavioral health topics, and build new partnerships to deepen our network of support. 

“Our whole purpose is to help folks get the resources they need to move beyond poverty and homelessness to live a life of dignity and joy. And we know we can’t do that unless we see and address the whole person, including their mental health.”

~Shalimar Gonzales, Solid Ground CEO 

We’ve intentionally worked to provide a range of mental health options so residents can choose the format that makes them most comfortable, whether it’s working one-to-one with Ruben or talking online with people dealing with similar issues. Residents can also move between services as they progress or their needs change – all for free and all without leaving Sand Point. 

“We’re working toward a system that lets residents choose what works for them, and then move between services without facing additional barriers,” says Paul Park, Solid Ground’s Senior Director of Programs. “Someone might start with peer counseling, and later, when they’re ready to start working with a therapist, we can make that connection seamless for them.” 

One of the biggest barriers in mental health continues to be the stigma attached to it – particularly the idea that it’s only for “crazy people” – along with fear and a lack of understanding about it. That’s why we’ve had so much success having the same providers come every week to Sand Point, where they’re able to build relationships and earn trust. We’ve also intentionally partnered with BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and bilingual providers who reflect both the diversity and the life experiences of the people who live at Sand Point. 

Solid Ground case managers are also now trained to ask residents about their mental health as soon as they arrive at Sand Point and talk with them about their options for treatment. Often, they’ll walk residents down to make a personal introduction with Ruben or the peer counselors who visit Sand Point weekly.  

“What I’ve seen is that it takes active engagement and building trust, because many people who’ve been homeless are naturally distrustful of systems because of their past experiences with them,” says Dee. “You’ve got to break through that barrier – that misconception about what mental health services are – and then get to that place of trust so they can get the services they need.”  

Moving ‘beyond poverty and homelessness to live a life of dignity and joy’

For Seth, all of that helped make it easier to connect with Ruben and continue meeting with him every week for going on a year now. Seth says working with Ruben has helped him understand new things about himself and his childhood – and has led to a “huge improvement” in his mental wellbeing, making it easier for him to be comfortable around groups of people and participate in cookouts and other community events at Sand Point. 

And recently, when his symptoms began to worsen suddenly, Seth knew that he could count on Ruben’s support. “That was a huge help to have him there,” Seth says. “There are times when I’m looking forward to Friday all week.” 

With Solid Ground’s new strategic plan, Vision 2030, we’ve committed to build on the lessons we’ve learned at Sand Point so we can work to ensure that everyone we serve has access to appropriate mental health services, no matter which Solid Ground programs they use. We’re also working to bring additional partners to Sand Point – particularly those focused on supporting young people – and to build on longstanding programs at our Broadview Shelter & Transitional Housing. 

And we’re measuring outcomes along the way to make sure everyone we serve gets the support they need. “Our whole purpose is to help folks get the resources they need to move beyond poverty and homelessness to live a life of dignity and joy,” says Shalimar. “And we know we can’t do that unless we see and address the whole person, including their mental health.” 

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• Image at top: Ruben and Seth meet weekly. Seth (r) says of Ruben (l): “I feel like I could share anything with him.” (photo by Clarissa Magdich)
• * Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders Among Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Barry R, Anderson J, Tran L, et al, JAMA Psychiatry, 04.17.24