Encompass Community-Based Services

Grantee: Encompass Northwest
Timeframe: July 2024 – June 2025 | Amount: $85,132.53

This project will allow Encompass to expand its Community-Based Services (CBS), where therapists provide on-site services at 18 daycares, preschools, and private schools.

In the primarily rural Snoqualmie Valley, many families experience service isolation. Encompass is the only local provider of pediatric therapy services that accepts Medicaid and offers preschool through the Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP) for low-income families. It is one of 19 neurodevelopmental centers in Washington State.

Encompass serves a diverse range of families, including those with health insurance, financial means, as well as undocumented immigrants, refugees, and people of color facing health disparities. Many low-income families experience barriers such as lack of transportation, language difficulties, inadequate healthcare access, food insecurity, and poor housing conditions. According to the 2022 American Community Survey, there are 4,728 children under five in the Snoqualmie Valley, with 7.3% identifying as Latinx, 11% having developmental delays or disabilities, and approximately 14.76% living below twice the Federal Poverty Level.

CBS was developed in response to feedback about the difficulties families encounter in maintaining appointments and the challenges faced by preschools and childcare centers, particularly in the post-COVID context. For many low-income families without cars or those unable to take time off work, accessing services is a significant challenge.

The funding will support the hiring of a Program Coordinator to improve CBS efficiency by enhancing scheduling, intake processes, communication, outreach, and caregiver education. This role will enable therapists to concentrate on direct therapy services and expand into areas such as Carnation and Duvall. CBS currently serves children in North Bend, Snoqualmie, Fall City, and one school in Issaquah, with plans for strategic expansion into rural King County and transitional housing.

Encompass has been addressing service disparities with its Mobile Therapy Unit (MTU), funded by PHPDA, which visits elementary schools and shelters weekly. However, the MTU alone cannot meet the high demand for pediatric therapy, particularly among Medicaid families. CBS, created to address this need, provides occupational, behavioral health, speech and language, and feeding therapy at 18 locations. It integrates these services into childcare routines and conducts developmental evaluations and screenings.

Providing therapy services in natural environments helps reduce barriers, normalize therapy, promote consistency, and educate parents, caregivers, and educators. CBS also engages in outreach at community events, including vision and hearing screenings. Teachers and parents value the seamless transition between the classroom and therapy sessions.

The CBS program has highlighted the substantial demand for accessible therapy and the importance of meeting families where they are. It emphasizes the need for educating teachers and administrators about the benefits of therapy and creating inclusive and effective support systems.

ABOUT OUR GRANTEE

Encompass Northwest

“Encompass is a nonprofit that partners with families in the Snoqualmie Valley, Issaquah, and Eastside communities to build healthy foundations for children of all abilities.

At Encompass, we passionately believe that every family deserves a place to turn when they need help. Through Early Learning, Pediatric Therapy, and Family Enrichment programs for children ages 0-8 and their families, Encompass has given thousands of children the foundation they need to get the right start—and thrive for a lifetime.

With locations in Snoqualmie, North Bend, and Carnation, plus a host of programs offered at community locations and in the home, Encompass supports children and families across the Snoqualmie Valley and greater Eastside. Just like parents, we hold ourselves to the highest standard as we reach out to and embrace children—as if they were our own—at the most critical stage in their development.”