Blog

We’re excited to share resources throughout the month to honor the indigenous peoples in our region, state, and nation. Stay tuned for videos, articles, and more as we explore these themes:

• Sovereignty
• Resilience through Addiction
• Indigenous Youth
• Thanksgiving history and Land Acknowledgement

Find information on recognition nationally here.

From our CEO, Liz Baxter:
Leaders of the Coast Salish tribes have been instrumental in guiding the launch and growth of North Sound ACH. When our board was elected in 2017, eight seats were designated such that each tribe could appoint someone to join the ACH Board, recognizing the strength, history and wisdom that each tribe brings to advance the health and well-being of people who live in this region. Two years ago North Sound ACH adopted a land acknowledgement statement so we never forget upon whose land we sit. We are honored to join with Children of the Setting Sun Productions in sharing videos and resources throughout the month of November, noted as Native American Heritage Month, which will remain in our repository for others to access. Please join us in gratitude to CSSP for producing these films, and with us as we continue our Tribal and Equity Learning Journey.

From Children of the Setting Sun Productions Founder, Darrell Hillaire:
On behalf of the Children of the Setting Sun Family, we lift up our hands to North Sound ACH for recognizing Native American Heritage Month and for including us in their programming throughout the month of November. Our shared values continue to inspire change leading to equity and creating voices for the next generation. At the end of the day, we hope for unity, equity and peace to be found by all people.  

The history of the nations indigenous to North America and the burgeoning United States is one that is widely unknown. In order to uncover the entangled roots of the colonial settlers and the First Peoples of this land, Children of the Setting Sun convened indigenous knowledge keepers to speak on the subject. 
The stories that emerged reveal indigenous values, beliefs and lifeways as they were pre-contact and as they are today. We begin with Oren Lyons, a faithkeeper for the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy located in modern day upstate New York. 

“Sovereignty”, with Oren Lyons.

We encourage you to take time to view these powerful videos and reflect on what was shared.

Sovereignty with Oren Lyons (Part 1)

Sovereignty with Oren Lyons (Part 2)

In developing this statement, we have been influenced and inspired by the work of many organizations around the country, as they have stepped into the necessary work to dismantle oppressive practices. You may recognize your language or paraphrasing from other organizations in the words below. We will find a place for this on our website soon, and work to identify ways to operationalize in our words, actions, and future planning.

Thank you for being on this journey with us.
~ Liz

North Sound ACH believes that what we do, in both the short and long term, will be the measure of our commitment to advance equity and address systemic and structural racism. Silence and inaction are not options. As Maya Angelou once said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” For us, while our actions will continue to evolve, our intention should be unwavering. 

We denounce hate in speech and action, and will incorporate steps to address viral racism. 

We challenge ourselves to understand and correct any inequities we may discover and gain a better understanding of ourselves through intentional processes. We accept that we will fail along the way, but commit to acknowledging our actions, learning from experience, and doing better the next time.

We will ask every North Sound ACH partner to join in this journey, examine themselves, and make commitments to address racism and inequities. We will join community voices, demanding social justice in the face of oppression and hatred. 

We will develop and implement an equity lens in hiring, retention, and advancement of staff, in our contract procurement process, and in fund distribution decisions.

We will require that all organizations who contract with North Sound ACH also embed values, strategies, and actions to advance equity and address systemic and structural racism. We will support their efforts by providing training, resources, and access to technical assistance.

We will intentionally support members of our team and other colleagues who are personally impacted emotionally or physically by racism or hatred. 

We will use our voice, our convenings, and our reach and influence to educate and encourage others to support changes to create and enhance a sense of belonging and safety for all.  Acknowledging the past, we will build bridges to better and more inclusive opportunities.

We commit to enriching learning experiences through the advancement of diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive practices.

Through our commitment to end practices, structures, and systems that oppress a range of identities, we aim to both improve and promote within our own team and the broader community, awareness of and appreciation for differences including, but not limited to, race, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, documentation status, culture, sexual orientation, religion, age, and ability. 

Last fall the North Sound ACH Board of Directors asked for a set of strategies looking forward through 2026. We reached out to board members, partners and staff, asking what they saw when they pictured an organization that supported work to accelerate equity, wellbeing and belonging across the region. They shared ideas, challenges, and opportunities for what we called ‘the future state.’

At the June Board meeting we shared a continued commitment to use an equity lens to guide the work, including projects selected, contractors engaged, and use of dollars. The Board will be asked to approve the strategic direction later this year; in the interim we’d like your ideas on how a commitment to equity can be operationalized in our organization. What do you expect to change? What should we let go of, and in what areas should we be doing more?

We have been working with XPLANE, a firm that helps people visualize their vision, plans, and strategies, to create an image that represents the North Sound region and the ACH vision. You can click on this image to see it in larger scale. Does it give a sense of what drives our vision and values? This version is the final draft, so we have one more opportunity to refine it. Please share your thoughts and ideas by end of day September 14. Remember, all insights are helpful! You can email me at Liz@NorthSoundACH.org.

The Community HUB accepts referrals from medical and behavioral health providers, emergency departments, human services/social services, community based organizations, community health workers, and community members.  Until this point, referrals needed to be input via CCS (Care Coordination Systems), which requires organizations to register with CCS as a referral source. 

We have now made available a referral form that can be completed via our website, for  organizations not able to register with to make HUB referrals.  Visit this link to complete the form without registering with CCS.  Submitted forms will be reviewed by our staff and entered into CCS.  We have taken the appropriate measures to make sure information is secure and HIPAA compliant.

Individuals who meet HUB eligibility will be:
– On Medicaid or Medicaid-eligible.
– Resident of Island, San Juan, Snohomish, Skagit, or Whatcom county.
– Experiencing any of the following: Behavioral health and substance use concerns; chronic disease or pregnancy; Homelessness: Homeless at least one month during the year; High utilization across health care, emergency and/or criminal justice services. 

For more information on becoming a referral partner, click here.

NOTE: Submitting referrals via CCS is still the preferred method; the form on our website is intended for those who are not registered with CCS and may find registration a barrier to their referral.

North Sound ACH recently gained another team member! Even while we’re physically distant and working from home, we’re so excited to have Erica Littlewood join us as our newest Project Manager.

Erica Littlewood was born and raised in Washington state, before traveling extensively and living overseas. She completed her undergraduate degree at Whitman College, and a Master of Education Degree at Western Washington University. Erica moved to Bellingham over 30 years ago after living in China, and her work has always been in the non-profit and public sector. She was the director of an international exchange program at Western Washington University, then for the past 15 years worked as an educator in the fire service. Since mid-March, Erica has been working with Whatcom Unified Command as the Volunteer Branch Director, coordinating volunteers to support food security, COVID-19 testing, and other tasks in Whatcom County in response to the pandemic.

At North Sound ACH, Erica is will be using her skills in program management, communication, and coalition building as Project Manager, working specifically in care coordination: emergency department diversion, community paramedicine, and cross-sector collaboratives.

We’re thrilled to have her working with us! Welcome, Erica!

Please use these posters and graphics in your business or organization! Originally created by Olympic Community of Health, we want to encourage sharing these however possible.

Click on the images below to view all available pdfs in English and Spanish for printing or social media use. If you need assistance in printing these for your organization, please email us at team@northsoundach.org and we’ll do our best to help.