One of the ways Amara serves children and families involved in, or at risk of involvement in, the child welfare system, is by identifying gaps in the services that families need and then finding ways to fill them. Sometimes that means partnering with other nonprofits, and sometimes it means building something new.
Amara has been busy this year building a new behavioral health program for children and families in King and Pierce counties who are at risk of being involved in the foster care system, or who are already involved. We’re excited to introduce our community to Ben Berger, Amara’s Director of Behavioral Health.
Ben has been identifying service gaps in meeting the behavioral health needs of our community and exploring ways to effectively meet those needs. “I’m grateful to the amazing organizations who have been sharing their wisdom with us as we move this program toward launch next year,” Ben said. “And we’re all so thankful that the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust chose to invest in this new program.”
When the program begins launching in phases next year, Amara’s behavioral health clients will have the opportunity to meet with us at both our Seattle and Tacoma locations. In Tacoma, our beautiful 29-acre property can provide a welcoming outdoor setting for thoughtful connection and conversation. Participants might choose to “walk and talk,” shoot some hoops, or simply find a comfortable place to connect. In Seattle, our playground can offer another space for playing, talking, and building connections.
In other words, participants will have choices about how and where their healing journeys unfold. We’re looking forward to sharing more about this new program as we move closer to launch.