Supporting Washington State’s Youth Experiencing Foster Care
GetInsured, the nation’s leading Healthcare Exchange provider, and Change & Innovation Agency (C!A), the premier capacity-building and improvement team for human services are working together to improve delivery of public services across the country. The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) is a nonpartisan organization committed to developing and advancing state health policy innovations and solutions. The NASHP Annual Conference is the perfect place for us to share our ideas, innovations, and learn from others, and we look forward to attending. This year, in honor of the shared goals, instead of handing out branded materials to attendees, we’ve used those dollars to make a donation to a non-profit local the conference — Treehouse. Established in 1988, Treehouse is Washington’s leading organization addressing the academic and other essential supports of more than 7,000 youth in foster care. Treehouse was founded on the belief that youth experiencing foster care deserve a community committed to their success.
Why Treehouse?
A lot of the work Treehouse is doing aligns perfectly with topics at this year’s conference. For instance, health outcomes for the general population of children starkly differ from the outcomes experienced by young people who become wards of the state. Behavioral and physical health challenges are exacerbated by time in foster care and these children often face increased barriers to treatment; Treehouse is taking steps to address the mental health and physical health barriers for young program participants.
Treehouse is a trusted partner for the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. In 2022, the State Legislature dedicated five million dollars to expanding Treehouse’s Graduation Success program to serve every high school-aged youth in foster care across Washington. In 2021 Treehouse served more than 7,000 youth and their caregivers across the state. During the pandemic, staff members heard from young people who were already disconnected from their family and home community as they felt further isolated and struggled with anxiety and depression. A 2020 survey of 1,200 Treehouse participants found that more than 40 percent needed mental health support, yet Treehouse staff regularly report that participants struggle to access qualified care due to confusion around insurance eligibility, long waitlists for youth-focused specialists, and changing placements that disrupt provider relationships. This situation is further exacerbated in rural areas of the state where the number of providers is low and may require participants to travel a significant distance in order to be seen. Treehouse is taking steps to address this growing need including adding Licensed Mental Health Professionals to their staff, and increasing community-specific programs for young people who are in historically marginalized groups including tribal residents and incarcerated youth. Treehouse is also collaborating with Coordinated Care and other partners to ensure their staff are trained in mental health access, healing-centered best practices, and systems navigation.
We invite you to learn more about Treehouse and to join us in contributing to the local youth in need.
