How We Won

For our clients — for our communities — for ourselves

By the hundreds, community mental health workers united into a powerful voice for change.

Between January and April 2007, we delivered more than 7,000 emails, & more than 700 personal letters to state legislators.

More than 400 workers personally lobbied elected officials in Olympia during the legislative session.

On April 12, 2007, SEIU 1199NW members in community mental health centers went on strike for one day to focus lawmakers' attention on the crisis in our mental health care system.

And we succeeded in sending a strong message. (See coverage in The Olympian.)

Members share our success with their communities

• David Wilder, a clinical social worker at Compass Health on Whidbey Island wrote about our camapign in the Skagit Valley Herald.
  
  
• Anita Hoyle, a case manager at Behavioral Health Services in Olympia, wrote about the joys and frustrations of community mental health work in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  
  
• Elmer Hill, a child therapist at Compass Health in Everett, wrote about importance of early crisis intervention in the Everett Herald.
  
  
• Mike Staszak, an adult outpatient therapist with Community Psychiatric Clinic in Seattle wrote about the good news of this past legislative session in Real Change.

If you're not already part of the Campaign for Quality Mental Health Care, you can get more information here.