When people are ready for help, the city’s social worker has been able to provide real assistance.
MyEverettNews.com has followed the efforts of the city’s Streets Initiative process and today we received this update. It was written by Kaitlyn Dowd, one of two social workers in a newly formed unit inside the Everett Police Department…
Chase* is an 18-year-old young man who found his way to Catholic Community Services (CCS) in Everett, looking for assistance with finding a place to stay for a couple nights. CCS brought Chase to the Everett Gospel Mission (EGM) hoping to find him a bed. It was immediately apparent to both EGM and CCS staff that staying on the street was not a good option for Chase as he was young, vulnerable, and struggling with developmental delays and mental health issues.
EGM called Officer Shane Nelson and me to help do an assessment and find a safe place for him to go. We met with Chase, and he began to share his story.
He had made the trek from his home in Spokane three weeks prior in hopes of finding his birth family. Chase was born in Everett, but had been in various foster homes since he was 3 years old. He eventually ended up in an assisted living facility due to his high level of disabilities.
Chase explained that he was tired of living in Spokane and wanted to be back where he could “feel the fresh ocean breeze.”
He left his home in Spokane without telling anyone where he was going, and soon after was identified as a missing person. He found a friend who brought him to the coast where he stayed in various youth shelters in Snohomish and King counties.
Officer Nelson and I were able to get in contact with Chase’s case manager who was relieved to know he was safe. Since Chase was not willing to return to Spokane, the case manager worked on getting his services transferred to Everett.
In the meantime, we were able to get Chase into Compass Health where he stayed for a night. He returned to CCS a couple days later, still in search of housing, but this time Chase was ready to return to Spokane.
CCS was able to work with Greyhound to secure a bus ticket back to Spokane, and EGM packed a bag of snacks so Chase was well fed for his trip home. After his return, we received an update from Chase’s case manager; he made it back safely, is getting stable on his medications again, and is doing really well.
Learn more about the Everett Safe Streets Plan, and hear more about the efforts of local co-responder teams at the upcoming public safety innovations forum on July 19.
*Names have been changed.
The
July 7, 2016
Everett, Everett Government