DESC

Free services fair at Occidental Square on Sept. 15 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

DESC Substance Use Disorder (SUD) staff attended last week's International Overdose Awareness Together We Can Remembrance event at Westlake Center in Seattle. They were joined by the UW Harm Reduction Research and Treatment Center staff. As an example of the work this group does, in 2023 they worked with clients in 18 SUD group sessions and 3,149 individual SUD sessions.

About one-third of DESC's new Bloomside permanent supportive housing apartments were reserved for Burien residents, and Dean is one of those people who now calls Bloomside home.

“I hope that no one ever has to experience what it is like to walk up to a crosswalk and not know which button to push. Sometimes I would just break down and cry because I didn’t have a place to go, and I was so tired. Now, I have a place to go, and with purpose.”
Read his story on our website. https://www.desc.org/longtime-burien-resident-finds-his-new-home/

Buy your tickets now for GIMME SHELTER on Oct. 18!
Celebrate DESC’s good work on Oct. 18, at the 16th annual Gimme Shelter fundraiser with Billy Joe Huels & The Dusty 45s, at the Century Ballroom, Seattle. The band plays Americana music that’s fun, energizing and powerful, and this event is a joyous celebration of DESC’s work!
Tickets are $45, at https://bit.ly/DESCGS24

https://createsend.com/t/d-6ED7B5E6F57A6D842540EF23F30FEDED
Put this on your calendar now--Friday, Oct. 18, 7-10 p.m., is the 16th annual Gimme Shelter concert to support DESC's amazing programs! We had so much fun with The Dusty 45s at the Century Ballroom last year that we're going back. Watch for registration details to come! (Photo courtesy of Tosin Arasi)

They're predicting hot weather starting tomorrow and for the next few days. Please read this advice, and keep an eye on your vulnerable family, friends and neighbors.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lost-patients-live-first-person-stories-from-seattles/id1733735613?i=1000660279785
"Lost Patients compares the system for treating mental illness in America to an elaborate house, where every room, hallway and staircase was designed independently by a different architect. So what is it like to be shuttled from room to room? What sorts of tradeoffs are doctors working within this system forced to make every day? And what might it look like to design care around the needs of patients?"

KUOW Public Radio and The Seattle Times wrapped up their "Lost Patients" series this spring with a panel of experts on the mental health system, including our own Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health, Timothy Jolliff. It's well worth an hour of your time! (And you'll want to listen to the whole series, too.)

‎Lost Patients: Lost Patients Live: First-Person Stories from Seattle's Mental Health Crisis on Apple Podcasts ‎Show Lost Patients, Ep Lost Patients Live: First-Person Stories from Seattle's Mental Health Crisis - Jun 26, 2024

JAILING PEOPLE FOR HAVING NO PLACE TO GO IS CRUEL AND COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.

SCOTUS's Johnson v. Grants Pass ruling to allow laws targeting homelessness with criminal penalties elevates the need for DESC’s long-term solutions, Housing First and Permanent Supportive Housing.

Our long experience and evidence show that people will accept something better for themselves if it meets their needs. Read more on our website:
https://www.desc.org/johnson-v-grants-pass-ruling-elevates-need-for-descs-long-term-solutions/

https://youtu.be/L0umZLq-wyc?si=IJY22_qb3ytF8L5m
Ed has been a DESC tenant for eight years. Hear him describe his experience, and how permanent supportive housing gave him the stability he needed to find a space for healing and growth.

He has this advice for new tenants: "It was six months to a year before everything kind of settled down from being outside. Use the resources that are available to you."

Meet Ed Ed has held a lease with DESC for 8 years. Hear him describe his experience, and how permanent supportive housing gave him the stability he needed to find a ...

We're excited to see this exhibit on Tuesday, June 11!

We’re only a few days away from Adoption Day for our newest location, Bloomside!

Help us provide the essential household items needed to help turn an apartment into a home. Adopt a unit and join us on Saturday, June 1st between 9am to 3pm to set up and decorate. Sponsor an apartment if you can't join us and let volunteers take care of the setup.

Donate today or learn more at https://www.desc.org/equip-an-apartment/

We had so much fun yesterday celebrating the grand opening of Bloomside, our new housing in Burien, for 95 people who have been experiencing long-term homelessness! We were proud to welcome the community to tour this beautiful building, our first outside of the city of Seattle. We'll have more photos to come, but here are our gracious speakers from the day. For more information about Bloomside, visit our website: https://www.desc.org/what-we-do/housing/burien/

We’re holding the grand opening of Bloomside, 801 SW 150th St., Burien, on May 23. Join our party for 95 new homes with full wrap-around services!

If you'd simply like to tour the building, learn about its unique features, meet the Bloomside team and learn about our services and our tenants, come ANYTIME BETWEEN 4-7 P.M., May 23, for the Open House.

To hear the speakers and tour, please come from 2-3 p.m. for the whole Grand Opening ceremony, followed by a tour. Or come for both!

Bloomside is DESC’s first permanent supportive housing outside of the city of Seattle. We’re looking forward to welcoming our tenants, highly vulnerable adults living with disabilities and experiencing long-term homelessness, in late May and early June.

The public art at Bloomside is amazing! Thank you to Angelina Villalobos 179 for creation of the west-facing mural and barryjohnsonco for the aerial picture; clare.e.johnson for the northeast mural; and Creative for the production and installation!
https://www.desc.org/grand-opening-open-house-for-bloomside-descs-new-burien-psh-on-may-23/

Thank you to the employees at The Trade Desk's Seattle and Bellevue offices for helping welcome the new residents of DESC’s Bloomside to their future homes! We are looking forward to adding 95 units of Permanent Supportive Housing in our community with our latest location.

Help us make the new residents of Bloomside feel welcome by adding your own creative flair to one of our coloring pages or equipping an apartment with the essentials to turn it into a home! Find out more by visiting https://www.desc.org/equip-an-apartment/

Lupe, peer counselor on DESC's Opioid Treatment Network (OTN) team, spoke eloquently about the need for post-overdose care at a city of Seattle press conference at DESC on May 9. The event on the second floor of the Morrison announced a funding award for DESC's Opioid Recovery, Care & Access (ORCA) center, a new program that will offer post-opioid overdose care plus rapid initiation of buprenorphine & methadone to clients. Investments from the City of Seattle, King County, Washington state and a generous private benefactor make the ORCA center possible, along with a broad and exciting partnership including the University of Washington – Addictions, Drug and Alcohol Institute (ADAI); Public Health – Seattle and King County; King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD); Seattle Fire; City of Seattle; Harborview Medical Center; and Evergreen Treatment Services (ETS).

“The ORCA Center adds another important link to our continuum of services for people who experience drug overdoses,” said DESC ED Daniel Malone. “By providing much-needed treatment such as medications for opioid use disorder, as well as access to harm reduction supplies, education and other services, we aim to prevent the next overdose and cut down on emergency room use. This will be one of many services and strategies designed to reduce fatal overdoses and fentanyl harm and increase well-being in the city and the county. Thank you to our multiple city, county and regional partners in crisis and behavioral health services who share those priorities and goals.”

You can read more in the city's post: https://harrell.seattle.gov/2024/05/09/mayor-harrell-announces-new-city-investments-in-post-overdose-recovery-facility-and-enhanced-mobile-addiction-treatment-services/

You still have time to donate to DESC during GiveBIG! Make your gift go twice as far by donating before midnight tonight!

Your donation doesn’t stop at providing a home to someone in need. It also helps to provide our community with life-changing services like low-barrier behavioral health care, crisis intervention, and someone to
advocate, listen, and provide support.

Please consider being a part of the solution by making a donation today https://secure.givelively.org/donate/downtown-emergency-service-center/givebig-2024

At DESC, we believe we should all live in a community where no person is abandoned, ignored, or experiencing homelessness.

Your support can help make this vision a reality! Make a gift today during GiveBIG and your impact will be doubled thanks to our generous matching fund.

To donate, visit
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/downtown-emergency-service-center/givebig-2024

Come marvel at Burien's new Bloomside mural, on this Sunday's Walk-n-Talk, May 5 at 2:00. The artwork was designed by '179' Villalobos, a Burien resident.
https://wabiburien.org/bloomside-mural-walk-n-talk-sunday-may-5/

Our Burbridge Place PSH was 100 percent leased right on schedule in March! Watch this video from our December grand opening to learn all about this unique building that is now home to 124 people who were formerly living outside. 🏘

Burbridge Place Grand Opening This is "Burbridge Place Grand Opening" by Alex Hamlin on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

DESC’s Opioid Treatment Network (OTN) program is giving us hope despite the devastating impact of the opioid epidemic in our community. OTN provides medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder with the lowest possible barriers.

By eliminating appointments in favor of on-demand care and not requiring abstinence to enroll, most clients are able to start treatment immediately! We are proud to share that individuals engaged with DESC’s OTN program rarely, if ever, experience opioid overdoses.

Visit https://secure.givelively.org/donate/downtown-emergency-service-center/givebig-2024.Support to make a donation for GiveBIG today and support the life-changing services that DESC provides. Now through May 8, your gift will be doubled to go twice as far!

We are thrilled to announce that all donations made for GiveBIG through May 8th will be doubled!

DESC continues to make substantial strides in addressing the challenges faced by members of our community, but we cannot do it without your help! Thanks to a group of generous DESC neighbors, all GiveBIG gifts up to $125,000 made by midnight on May 8th will be matched to double their impact.

Make your donation go twice as far today at https://secure.givelively.org/donate/downtown-emergency-service-center/givebig-2024

It's remarkable to see how every donation during events like GiveBIG contributes to our progress!

In just four months since the opening of our latest Permanent Supportive Housing building, Burbridge Place has welcomed and supported 124 individuals on their journey to stability.

Make a gift during GiveBIG to help us continue to build additional housing locations like Burbridge Place! Donate today at https://secure.givelively.org/donate/downtown-emergency-service-center/givebig-2024

Burbridge Place in a flash Take a quick look at our unique new permanent supportive housing at Burbridge Place!

On Monday, April 22, the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) will hear oral arguments in a case that will determine whether people experiencing homelessness may be penalized for having no safe place to sleep.

Johnson v. Grants Pass asks whether cities that enforce laws about camping on public property when there is no other place for people to go are violating the Eighth Amendment by imposing “cruel and unusual punishment.” We know there's a better way: housing. Read our post at
https://www.desc.org/encampments-vs-sweeps/

And visit https://johnsonvgrantspass.com/ to learn more.

Your generosity means more housing and essential services for our most vulnerable neighbors. With 4 more locations currently in development, DESC is working to provide 415 more units of permanent supportive housing for the future of our community.

GiveBIG today and make these homes and successes possible. Make a donation at: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/downtown-emergency-service-center/givebig-2024

How did issues important to DESC, our work and the community fare in the 2024 Washington state Legislative session? Join us on Thursday, April 18, from noon -1 p.m., for DESC's 2024 Post Legislative Session Update with 43rd Legislative Representative and DESC Deputy Director of Strategy Nicole Macri and DESC Senior Business Manager Lauren Fay. Register at the Zoom link below!

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: DESC 2024 Post-Legislative Session Update. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Please register below to join us for DESC's 2024 post Legislative Session Update. DESC's WA State's Representative in the 43rd legislative district, and DESC's Deputy Director of Strategy, Nicole Macri, will join DESC's Senior Business Manager, Lauren Fay, to discuss how the results of this session....

GiveBIG is just around the corner, and we would love it if you would consider supporting DESC and our clients now through May 8th!

At DESC, we know that the solution to ending homelessness is providing a place to call home for each community member who needs it. We are proud of the tireless work that our staff does every day in our community, resulting in 95% of our incoming residents remaining housed a year later.

Donate today to make these successes possible in our community by visiting: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/downtown-emergency-service-center/givebig-2024

Can't wait to see this on our new Bloomside PSH in Burien!

DESC’s The Clinic at Hobson Place will be hosting Fred Hutch Cancer Center’s Mammogram Van on Wednesday, May 29, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Appointment only takes 15 minutes, and no referral for an annual screening mammogram is needed. Funding is available for those without insurance. Please inquire about “sponsored mammogram” when scheduling.

Schedule your appointment for a convenient screening by calling (206) 606-7800!

The Clinic at Hobson Place
2120 South Plum Street
Seattle, WA 98144

8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

For more information, including van locations, visit FredHutch.org/Mammovan

DESC’s The Clinic at Hobson Place will be hosting Fred Hutch Cancer Center’s Mammogram Van on Wednesday, May 29, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Appointment only takes 15 minutes, and no referral for an annual screening mammogram is needed. Funding is available for those without insurance. Please inquire about "sponsored mammogram" when scheduling.

Schedule your appointment for a convenient screening by calling (206) 606-7800!

The Clinic at Hobson Place
2120 South Plum Street
Seattle, WA 98144

8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

For more information, including van locations, visit FredHutch.org/Mammovan