Directory of services & programs

Medical Reserve Corps

December 04, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Home > Medical Reserve Corps

We continually work to protect your health and safety during emergencies and disasters.

We do this by detecting and investigating disease outbreaks, and containing their spread; providing medicine to those in need; informing and educating the public on taking safe actions; and supporting other agencies as members of one response team.

Are you interested in responding to the current COVID-19 crisis? Visit our Grays Harbor Public Health Volunteer Opportunities page for more information and our volunteer form.

The Grays Harbor Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a group of volunteers. They prepare for and respond to public health emergencies in our community.

If you are interested in other volunteer opportunities, please visit Grays Harbor County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) or American Red Cross.

MRC members work together as a team.

MRC members prepare people to take care of themselves and their families.
MRC members provide supplemental aid during emergencies. This allows first responders to focus on the most threatening situations.

There are two types of MRC volunteers: medical and non-medical.

Medical

Dispensing antibiotics
Injecting vaccines
Reviewing health histories
Patient care
Triage
Outreach and education

Non-medical

Interpretation
Staffing a call center to provide information
Setting up equipment
Greeting and directing people
Volunteer recruitment
HAM radio operation

To learn more, visit the Medical Reserve Corps website.

categories Emergency preparedness

Housing Program Annual Update

July 30, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Home > Housing & homelessness

Annual Housing System Performance Reports

We believe that everyone should have a safe and healthy place to live.

To fulfill a 2018 legislative requirement, Grays Harbor County updated its local plan to address unmet housing needs.

The 2019-2024 Grays Harbor County Five Year Plan to Address Unmet Housing Needs was published in May 2019.

Each year following the end of the State Fiscal Year ( July - June) Public Health Housing program staff provide an overview of the housing system and progress made in an annual meeting. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year staff produced a series of videos that cover the content.

Grays Harbor County has created and published annual reports to measure and share information about homeless system performance. These reports show progress the County has made in key benchmarks and provides data about services provided to clients experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

NEW Grays Harbor Homeless System Performance, September 2024 (reporting period is July 2023 - June 2024)
- English
- Spanish
Grays Harbor Homeless System Performance (reporting period is July 2022 - June 2023)
- English
- Spanish
Grays Harbor Homeless System Performance, October 2022 (reporting period is July 2021 - June 2022)
- English
- Spanish
Grays Harbor Homeless System Performance, August 2021 (reporting period is July 2020 - June 2021)
Grays Harbor Homeless System Performance, April 2021(reporting period is July 2019-June 2020)
Grays Harbor Homeless System Performance, September 2019 (reporting period is July 2018-June 2019)
Grays Harbor Homeless System Performance, August 2018 (reporting period is July 2017-June 2018)

Ensuring that all residents of Grays Harbor County have access to safe, adequate, affordable housing is crucial to improving the health of our community. We all benefit when everyone who calls Grays Harbor home has a healthy and safe place to live. Our providers and partners are doing difficult and meaningful work every day to serve some of our most vulnerable residents . . . . and they are making a difference.

However, currently in Grays Harbor County only 1 in 4 residents identified as homeless can find a safe place to live. In addition, those looking for adequate housing and needing assistance can face a waiting time of over 3 years. It is critical we continue to find solutions to this crisis and ways to make housing more affordable and available. We have drafted a clear and comprehensive plan - heavily informed by a variety of partners – which outlines what the county can and will do to address homelessness and affordable housing needs. Because we value transparency and straightforward communication, our plan also clearly outlines the anticipated unmet need – despite the continuation of existing services and expansion to new programming.

If you have questions, please contact Alex Blumenthal at ablumenthal@graysharbor.us or 360-500-4064 at the Homeless Housing Department which is part of Public Health. In addition, all members of the Board of County Commissioners would be willing to talk to you to listen to your comments and concerns. It will take all of us to make a difference in the homelessness crisis within our County and to make affordable housing available to everyone.

Public Health staff recently hosted a series of six workshops for our Board of County Commissioners to discuss what we know about the issue of homelessness, what resources and strategies we have to address the challenges, and how homelessness impacts a variety of stakeholders.

You can find the finalized materials shared at those workshops below, organized by topic/date.

Workshop 1 – What do we know about homelessness in our community? (June 1st 11:00 a.m.)
o Guest speaker – Sarah Glorian, Lead Attorney for Northwest Justice Project Grays Harbor/Pacific County Offices
o Workshop recording:
Visit this link: https://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/government/board_of_county_commissioners/pav_doctypesrch.php
Enter 6/1/21 under “meeting date” and hit search
Select 6/1/21 Morning Meeting
The video/audio of the meeting will download and when complete you can open/view the video file
The Housing Workshop begins at 30:00 into the video
o Workshop materials:
Presentation Materials
Point in Time Count Trends 2006-2020

Workshop 2 – What funding do we have to address homelessness in our community? (June 8th 11:00 a.m.)
o Guest speaker – Tedd Kelleher, Housing Assistance Unit at the Department of Commerce
o Workshop recording:
Visit this link: https://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/government/board_of_county_commissioners/pav_doctypesrch.php
Enter 6/8/21 under “meeting date” and hit search
Select 6/8/21 Morning Meeting
The video/audio of the meeting will download and when complete you can open/view the video file
The Housing Workshop begins approximately 60:00 into the video
o Workshop materials: Presentation Materials

Workshop 3 – How does Grays Harbor County invest to address homeless now? (June 15th 10:30 a.m.)
o Guest speaker – Gloria Callaghan and Jana Ferrier, Domestic Violence Center of Grays Harbor
o Workshop recording is posted:
Visit this link: https://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/government/board_of_county_commissioners/pav_doctypesrch.php
Enter 6/15/21 under “meeting date” and hit search
Select 6/15/21 Morning Meeting
The video/audio of the meeting will download and when complete you can open/view the video file
The Housing Workshop begins approximately 65 minutes into the video
o Workshop materials: Presentation Materials
Workshop 4 – Case Management and Service Delivery Model (June 29th 10:00 a.m.)
o Guest speaker – Craig Dublanko, CEO of Coastal Community Action Program
o Workshop recording is posted:
Visit this link: https://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/government/board_of_county_commissioners/pav_doctypesrch.php
Enter 6/29/21 under “meeting date” and hit search
Select 6/29/21 Morning Meeting
The video/audio of the meeting will download and when complete you can open/view the video file
The Housing Workshop begins at 17 minutes into the video
o Workshop materials Presentation Materials
Workshop 5 – Grays Harbor’s Continuum of Care (July 6th, 10:00 a.m.)
o Guest speaker – Sarah Glorian (client stories), Chief Steve Shumate – Aberdeen Police Department, Cindy Stutesman – Seattle Union Gospel Mission, Jim Sorenson – Coastal Community Action Program, Cathy Hinds – Home Sweet Home Property Management, Dave Murnen – NeighborWorks Grays Harbor
o Workshop recording is posted:
Visit this link: https://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/government/board_of_county_commissioners/pav_doctypesrch.php
Enter 7/6/21 under “meeting date” and hit search
Select 7/6/21 Morning Meeting
The video/audio of the meeting will download and when complete you can open/view the video file
The Housing Workshop begins approximately 30 minutes into the video
o Workshop Materials: Presentation Materials
Workshop 6 – Next Steps, Policy discussion for upcoming Homeless Housing Request for Proposals (August 3rd, 10:00 a.m.)
o Workshop recording will be posted:
Visit this link: https://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/government/board_of_county_commissioners/pav_doctypesrch.php
Enter 08/03/21 under “meeting date” and hit search
Select 08/03/21 Morning Meeting
The video/audio of the meeting will download and when complete you can open/view the video file
The Housing Workshop begins approximately 110 minutes (1:50 minutes) into the video
o Workshop materials:
Presentation Materials

Due to the COVID pandemic the 2019-20 report included a series of videos that reviews the primary components of our plan and provides updates on progress where we have them (video links below). Topics include how many people are homeless in our County, an overview of the 5 Year Plan and the strategies selected, and deeper dives into strategies to prevent homelessness in the first place, our emergency shelter system and rental assistance programs, and our work to intentionally increase affordable housing opportunities.

How Many People Experiencing Homelessness Live in Grays Harbor?

Part of the Grays Harbor County 2020 Housing Program Update.

What is Grays Harbor County’s Plan to Address Homelessness?

What is Grays Harbor County doing to Prevent Homelessness?

What is Grays Harbor County doing to house people experiencing homelessness?

What is Grays Harbor County doing to increase Affordable Housing?

categories Housing & homelessness

Housing & homelessness

April 08, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Home > Housing & homelessness

We believe that everyone should have a safe and healthy place to live.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Grays Harbor County (“County”) is requesting proposals to provide outreach, communication, technical assistance, and/or rental and utility assistance (“Services”) to historically disadvantaged populations for the time period of October 2024 – June 2025. Services will be targeted at specific populations and will be directed and substantially controlled by people from the populations served. Successful bidder(s) will propose programs that embody the assisted population’s central values. Applicants must provide a proposal and budget that covers how their organization will provide deliverables for the available program areas under the Eviction Prevention Program.

This request for proposals (“RFP”) is intended for organizations with the necessary capacity and experience to successfully deliver services to individuals in historically disadvantaged populations who are at or below 80% of the Area Median Income in a way that aligns with the Department of Commerce’s “Consolidated Homeless Grant (CHG) guidelines”. This RFP is intended for organizations with the necessary capacity and experience using generally accepted accounting principles, administrative infrastructure, and the ability to operate services on a cost-reimbursement basis. The RFP will open August 13, 2024, and all proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. on September 10, 2024.

The full RFP can be found here.

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health

Attn: Natali Burgess

2109 Sumner Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

natali.burgess@graysharbor.us.

The Request for Proposals will open August 13, 2024, and all proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. on September 10, 2024.

Applicant assumes full responsibility for the delivery method chosen. Applications must be clearly marked with EVICTION PREVENTION BY AND FOR APPLICATION.

Applications submitted after the due date of September 10, 2024 at 4:30 pm will not be considered. Applicants accept all risks of late delivery of mailed submittals regardless of fault.

Grays Harbor County reserves the right to reject all submittals and to waive irregularities and formalities in the submittal and evaluation process. This RFP does not oblige the County to pay any costs incurred by applicants in the preparation and submission of their proposal. Furthermore, this RFP does not obligate the County to accept or contract for any expressed or implied services.

CLOSED - 05/15/2024 - Request for Proposals for “Tiny Home” Prototype and Exhibition Services

Grays Harbor County (“County”) has issued a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) to interested and qualified agencies to provide a prototype of a “tiny home”, commonly understood to be an independent, small-footprint dwelling, usually under 400 square feet, often on wheels. It is the intent of the County via this request and subsequent agreement to share the selected prototype with members of the public through a variety of public events at which the successful bidder will show and respond to questions about the prototype. The scope of this project includes a “tiny home” prototype that could accommodate a single individual and does not necessarily include sanitation, cooking, or laundry facilities for the completed prototype. The County is interested in reviewing options for additional amenities (such as restroom facilities) onto the base model prototype. The prototype must be mobile/able to be transported to a variety of locations throughout the County during the contract period to be made available to the public. The County expects the protype would have a useful life at least five years from date of purchase. With this project, the County aims to strengthen communities by investing in a continuum of housing options including emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing. The resulting tiny home prototype purchased will be the property of Grays Harbor County.

Eligible applicants must submit a narrative response to the questions at the end of this RFP, a new project application, and budget.

This RFP is intended for entities with the ability, capacity and experience to successfully show a variety of model prototypes for consideration and subsequent purchase of one model, and make available to the public the exhibition of a model/prototype “tiny home”. The RFP will open May 15, 2024, and all proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. June 14, 2024.

The County reserves the right to reject any and all submittals and to waive irregularities and informalities in the submittal and evaluation process. This RFP does not obligate the County to pay any costs incurred by respondents in the preparation and submission of their proposal. Furthermore, this RFP does not obligate the County to accept or contract for any expressed or implied services.

Successful applicants will work with County staff to negotiate formal contracts with specific deliverables, timelines, and outcomes. The County will be responsible for contract compliance and monitoring all recipients of housing funds during purchase and performance by the successful bidder to ensure alignment with fund requirements and contract deliverables.

Estimated Calendar/Timeline*:
Issue RFP - May 15, 2024
Questions Due- June 3, 2024
Proposals Due - June 14, 2024
Proposal Subcommittee Review (if applicable) - June 2024
Recommendations provided to BOCC - June 2024
Agency Contract Development Process - June/July 2024
Project Start Date - July 1, 2024
Contract period - July 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024
*Timeline is approximate and subject to change without notice.

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health
Attn: Alex Blumenthal
2109 Sumner Avenue
Aberdeen, WA 98520
ablumenthal@graysharbor.us

Applications and related materials must be received no later than Friday, June 14th at 4:30 p.m. to be considered. The applicant assumes full responsibility for the delivery method chosen. Applications must be clearly marked with TINY HOME PROTOTYPE APPLICATION.

Learn more

Questions and Answers:

Question: The Project Start Date states July 1 and lists a contract period. Does this mean the Prototype must be pre-built and ready by submission date?

Answer: Yes, the prototype must be pre-built.

Question: Where/who would be expected to store it?

Answer: This will be determined during contract negotiations

Question: Please clarify what the County is referring to at the top of page 4: “The County will require, when applicable, all subrecipients and vendors to certify they either meet or do not meet the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Princip, Uniform Administratively, and Audit Requirements. If the applicant indicates they do not meet or exceed the audit threshold, a copy of their single audit is required to be sent to County staff. Audit verification, risk assessment (if applicable), contract execution, and contract orientation must be completed prior to distribution of any funds.” What is the point of this?

Answer: To determine if this is applicable, following RFP submissions the County will review the “Subrecipient vs. Contractor” checklist to determine if the resulting contract will be a subrecipient or contractor agreement. If the contract is a subrecipient award we will proceed with a risk assessment where we will determine if these requirements apply to the contracted agency and ask them to provide documentation of compliance. Please refer to CFR Part 200 Uniform Admin Requirements here

Question: What do you mean by ‘Capacity to operate the project on a cost-reimbursement basis?” Especially for a For-Profit business? Will the apparently successful bidder only be reimbursed on a cost-basis only?

Answer: The County can only reimburse actual and eligible expenses incurred and paid by the contracted entity, within the parameters of the fully executed contract. The contractor will be expected to perform deliverables outlined in the fully executed contract and provide documentation of actual and eligible expenses incurred and paid prior to reimbursement by the County.

Question: At what time and how will reimbursement occur? These terms will be determined in contract negotiations.

Answer: Typically the County provides payment within 30 days of received invoices that are determined to be complete, correct, and eligible per the contract.

Question: What do you mean by ‘complaint with government accounting systems’ and how is this definition determined? Please provide definition of ‘compliant’

Answer: Contractors will be expected to have accounting systems in place that can track your expenses, financial records, bookkeeping, timekeeping and other essential accounting needs specific to this contractual agreement, as well as direct and indirect cost allocation procedures if applicable in the terms of the contract.

Compliant definition is agreeing to meet/follow accordance with County rules and standards.

Question: The Liability Insurance amounts seem high for the amount in the RFP, why is that? Why is this amount in the project?

Answer: The liability insurance amounts are the minimum for all County contracts.

Question: Is there a Bond requirement? If so, what is the amount? What are they bonding to?

Answer: No bond requirement; county is not contracting for a construction project; asset must be already constructed.

Question: What do you mean by contract compliance and monitoring?

Answer: Contract compliance and Monitoring is the process where County staff verify and document the contractor is complying with all terms and conditions outlined in the contract. This also includes tracking the process and performance/status of what is being asking to complete in the contract (scope of work/deliverables) and administrative requirements such as such as timely and correct/complete invoice submission, documentation of outlined deliverables, documentation of required insurance coverage, documentation of any required policies and procedures as applicable, monthly monitoring meetings, etc…

This is the common process used to track the performance and status of contracts to ensure obligations are being fulfilled as contracted.

Question: For Threshold criteria when submitting the letter, what if the entity has not completed an independent audit for a for profit organization? What kind of audit are you looking for?

If the agency is not required to complete an audit (has received $750,000 or more in federal funds in the last year) the agency can note that in the threshold criteria letter.

If the agency has completed an audit other than the single audit, the agency can note that.

CLOSED - Request for Proposals now open - Capital Investment for Emergency Shelter

Grays Harbor County (“County”) has issued a Request for Proposals to interested and qualified agencies to purchase or designate a physical asset and obligate such real property to be used to provide emergency shelter for an indefinite period of time.

Grays Harbor County is seeking to invest in real property obligated to support a continuum of emergency shelter services that prioritize safety, minimize negative health impacts of unsheltered homelessness, and seeks to proactively engage individuals experiencing homelessness with necessary and available services in a coordinated way. The County seeks to provide funds to purchase and/or develop physical asset(s) that will assist our community to meet the basic needs of residents accessing services and quickly work to connect them to available and requested services to increase their stability and well-being. These capital investments and resulting services should be designed and implemented in coordination and collaboration with broad stakeholder engagement.

The RFP is intended for agencies with the necessary capacity and experience to successfully purchase, plan, develop, implement, and evaluate physical assets designed to provide emergency shelter to individuals who are literally homeless in a way that aligns with the 2019-2024 Grays Harbor Plan to Address Homelessness and Department of Commerce’s “Consolidated Homeless Grant Guidelines.” The RFP will open March 5, 2024, and all proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. on April 30, 2024.

Applicants to receive and implement funds for capital purchase/development of emergency shelter assets will be responsible for identifying ongoing, sustainable operating funds and/or service provider(s) to deliver direct services. This RFP and subsequent contract DOES NOT obligate Grays Harbor County to provide funding for ongoing operations of the resulting shelter.

The full RFP can be found here.

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health

Attn: Natali Burgess

2109 Sumner Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

natali.burgess@graysharbor.us.

The Request for Proposals will open March 5, 2024 and will close at 4:30 p.m. on April 30, 2024.

Applicant assumes full responsibility for the delivery method chosen. Applications must be clearly marked with HOUSING APPLICATION - Proposals for Capital Investment for Emergency Shelter Capacity.

Applications submitted after the due date of April 30, 2024 at 4:30 pm will not be considered. Applicants accept all risks of late delivery of mailed submittals regardless of fault.

Questions and Answers

Question: Has a shelter location ever found/established for a permanent shelter?

Answer: No, no specific site has been discussed or approved.

CLOSED Request for Proposals - Rural Modular Housing development

Grays Harbor County (“County”) has issued a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) to interested and qualified agencies to expand Affordable Housing units in the form of Modular Housing. The purpose of the project is to address housing disparities in rural locations within Grays Harbor County. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant hardship to many households who are struggling with rent or locating affordable housing because of economic distress. 1,2 With this project, the County aims to build stronger communities by investing in housing and neighborhoods. Eligible applicants must submit a narrative response to the questions at the end of this RFP, a new project application, and budget.

• Modular Housing Units for Affordable housing to serve low-moderate income residents in more rural areas of Grays Harbor County. Funds for this project include ARPA funding for the purpose of meeting affordable housing needs.

This RFP is intended for housing providers, nonprofits, rural city council entities and other eligible local service providers with the necessary capacity and experience to successfully acquire land and purchase modular units for affordable housing within the more rural communities of Grays Harbor County. The RFP will open November 8th, 2023, and all proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. November 27th, 2023. Although the County does not require prior site ID, location identification and site control is preferred. Priority will be given to entities who can demonstrate prior experience. The County reserves the right to reject any and all submittals and to waive irregularities and informalities in the submittal and evaluation process. This RFP does not obligate the County to pay any costs incurred by respondents in the preparation and submission of their proposal. Furthermore, this RFP does not obligate the County to accept or contract for any expressed or implied services.

Questions must be submitted in writing to clentz@graysharbor.us by November 15, 2023.

You can find the full Request for Proposals document here.

Homeless Housing Task Force

The annual housing system performance reports are now available. Click here for more information.

The October 2022 Housing Stakeholder Materials discussing the 2021-22 System Performance Measures and 5 Year Plan Update can be found here.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

CLOSED OCT. 23 2023
Grays Harbor County (“County”) has issued a Request for Proposals to interested and qualified agencies to provide cold weather emergency shelter services. Applicants must submit a narrative response to the questions at the end of this RFP, a new project application, and a proposed budget.

Cold Weather Shelter for literally unsheltered clients during the cold weather season (November 2023-March 2024). The County reserves the right to extend the period of performance beyond March 31, 2024, depending on community need, subcontractor performance, and/or available funds.

The RFP is intended for housing providers with the necessary capacity and experience to successfully deliver services to individuals who are literally homeless in a way that aligns with the 2019-2024 Grays Harbor Plan to Address Homelessness and Department of Commerce’s “Consolidated Homeless Grant Guidelines” The RFP will open September 6, 2023, and all proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. on October 23, 2023. Priority will be given to programs who can demonstrate capacity and procedures are in place to prioritize the most vulnerable clients and work alongside literally homeless clients to remove barriers and successfully help them obtain and maintain permanent housing.

The full RFP can be found here.

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health

Attn: Natali Burgess

2109 Sumner Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

natali.burgess@graysharbor.us.

The Request for Proposals will open September 6th and will close at 4:30 p.m. on October 23rd.

Applicant assumes full responsibility for the delivery method chosen. Applications must be clearly marked with HOUSING APPLICATION - Proposals for Emergency Cold Weather Shelter Services.

Applications submitted after the due date of October 23rd, 2023 at 4:30 pm will not be considered. Applicants accept all risks of late delivery of mailed submittals regardless of fault.

Grays Harbor County reserves the right to reject any and all submittals and to waive irregularities and informalities in the submittal and evaluation process. This RFP does not obligate the County to pay any costs incurred by respondents in the preparation and submission of their statement of qualifications. Furthermore, the RFP does not obligate the County to accept or contract for any expressed or implied services.

To discuss and debrief the 2022-23 Cold Weather Shelter services and plan for 2023-24 Public Health prepared a workshop for the Board of County Commissioners in August of 2023:

Presentation materials

To discuss and debrief 2021-22 Cold Weather Shelter services and plan for 2022-23 Public Health prepared two workshops for the Board of County Commissioners in June of 2022:

June 9, 2022 - Debrief 2021-22 Cold Weather Shelter services
- Presentation materials
June 14, 2022 - Plan for 2022-23 Cold Weather Shelter Services
- Presentation materials

All recordings of Commissioner workshops and meetings are posted on the County’s website and can be searched by date here.

Closed - Request for Proposals

Grays Harbor County has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to interested and qualified agencies to renew existing homeless housing programs currently funded by the County. More than 1 (one) apparently successful bid may be identified. CLOSES MARCH 27.

Ongoing program funding available– Up to $5,819,330* available for period (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2025)

Homeless Housing RFP

Subrecipient Risk Assessment Checklist

CLOSED - Request for Proposals

In response to the coronavirus pandemic and as part of establishing a coordinated continuum of care for individuals experiencing homelessness, the County is interested in contracting with qualified agencies to create and operate programs to be funded through a variety of sources in Grays Harbor County.

Grays Harbor County (the “County”) is soliciting requests for proposals for the purpose of creating and operating cold weather emergency shelter resources. Notice is hereby given that proposals and statement of qualifications will be received by Grays Harbor County, Washington, for emergency shelter programs by following the instructions in the Request for Proposals. The full RFP can be found here.

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health

Attn: Natali Burgess

2109 Sumner Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

natali.burgess@graysharbor.us.

The Request for Proposals will open September 21st and close at 4:30 p.m. on October 5th.

The County will hold a webinar for potential applicants on September 28th, 2022 from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Contact Natali Burgess for zoom link information.

Recording of the webinar can be viewed at:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/sXGPoBRv3tf3ngel1PeskZtieAtgpYQypYWqQr7Jmg6nLgSpqAlDUon9I7Y3gUw.i2oeqMAWzAOsoB5Z

Passcode: Eh.hvJ%8

Applicant assumes full responsibility for the delivery method chosen. Applications must be clearly marked with NEW EMERGENCY SHELTER APPLICATION.

Applications submitted after the due date of October 5, 2022 at 4:30 pm will not be considered. Applicants accept all risks of late delivery of mailed submittals regardless of fault.

Request for Proposals - CLOSED/AWARDED

Grays Harbor County (“County”) has issued a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) to interested and qualified agencies to expand Affordable Housing units in the form of Modular Housing. The purpose of the project is to address housing disparities in rural locations within Grays Harbor County. With this project, the County aims to build stronger communities by investing in housing and neighborhoods. Eligible applicants must submit a narrative response to the questions at the end of this RFP, a new project application, and budget.

· Modular Housing Units for Affordable housing to serve low-moderate income residents in more rural areas of Grays Harbor County.

The RFP is intended for housing providers, nonprofits, rural city council entities, and other eligible local service providers with the necessary capacity and experience to successfully develop 2-12 modular units of affordable housing within the more rural communities of Grays Harbor County. The RFP will open August 16th, 2022 and all proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. August 30th, 2022. Although the County does not require prior site ID, location identification and site control is preferred. Priority will be given to entities who can demonstrate prior experience.

Full Request for Proposals

ARPA Guidelines

State Surplus Property in Grays Harbor

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health

Attn: Kimberly Stoll-French

2109 Sumner Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

Kimberly.StollFrench@graysharbor.us

Question: Is this proposal for rental low income housing?

Answer: This request for proposals is for affordable housing units in the form of modular housing. The following criteria regarding affordability is required for consideration:

A planned affordable housing project in Grays Harbor County focusing on the population making between 0% - 50% of AMI. Priority will be given to projects that serve households with 0-30% of AMI.

In addition, Affordable housing units must remain affordable for at least 30 years from the date of completion.

As part of ongoing conversations with the Board of County Commissioners County regarding allocating existing Emergency Solutions Grant, Emergency Shelter Fund, and local Homeless Housing funds staff presented information in two workshops:

September 29, 2021: Cold Weather Shelter options
- Presentation materials
October 26th, 2021: Local Homeless Housing funds, programs, and process
- Presentation materials

All recordings of Commissioner workshops and meetings are posted on the County’s website and can be searched by date here.

You can find the finalized materials shared at those workshops below, organized by topic/date.

Workshop 1 – What do we know about homelessness in our community? (June 1st 11:00 a.m.)
o Guest speaker – Sarah Glorian, Lead Attorney for Northwest Justice Project Grays Harbor/Pacific County Offices
o Workshop recording:
Visit this link: https://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/government/board_of_county_commissioners/pav_doctypesrch.php
Enter 6/1/21 under “meeting date” and hit search
Select 6/1/21 Morning Meeting
The video/audio of the meeting will download and when complete you can open/view the video file
The Housing Workshop begins at 30:00 into the video
o Workshop materials:
Presentation Materials
Point in Time Count Trends 2006-2020

Workshop 2 – What funding do we have to address homelessness in our community? (June 8th 11:00 a.m.)
o Guest speaker – Tedd Kelleher, Housing Assistance Unit at the Department of Commerce
o Workshop recording:
Visit this link: https://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/government/board_of_county_commissioners/pav_doctypesrch.php
Enter 6/8/21 under “meeting date” and hit search
Select 6/8/21 Morning Meeting
The video/audio of the meeting will download and when complete you can open/view the video file
The Housing Workshop begins approximately 60:00 into the video
o Workshop materials: Presentation Materials

Workshop 3 – How does Grays Harbor County invest to address homeless now? (June 15th 10:30 a.m.)
o Guest speaker – Gloria Callaghan and Jana Ferrier, Domestic Violence Center of Grays Harbor
o Workshop recording is posted:
Visit this link: https://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/government/board_of_county_commissioners/pav_doctypesrch.php
Enter 6/15/21 under “meeting date” and hit search
Select 6/15/21 Morning Meeting
The video/audio of the meeting will download and when complete you can open/view the video file
The Housing Workshop begins approximately 65 minutes into the video
o Workshop materials: Presentation Materials
Workshop 4 – Case Management and Service Delivery Model (June 29th 10:00 a.m.)
o Guest speaker – Craig Dublanko, CEO of Coastal Community Action Program
o Workshop recording is posted:
Visit this link: https://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/government/board_of_county_commissioners/pav_doctypesrch.php
Enter 6/29/21 under “meeting date” and hit search
Select 6/29/21 Morning Meeting
The video/audio of the meeting will download and when complete you can open/view the video file
The Housing Workshop begins at 17 minutes into the video
o Workshop materials Presentation Materials
Workshop 5 – Grays Harbor’s Continuum of Care (July 6th, 10:00 a.m.)
o Guest speaker – Sarah Glorian (client stories), Chief Steve Shumate – Aberdeen Police Department, Cindy Stutesman – Seattle Union Gospel Mission, Jim Sorenson – Coastal Community Action Program, Cathy Hinds – Home Sweet Home Property Management, Dave Murnen – NeighborWorks Grays Harbor
o Workshop recording is posted:
Visit this link: https://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/government/board_of_county_commissioners/pav_doctypesrch.php
Enter 7/6/21 under “meeting date” and hit search
Select 7/6/21 Morning Meeting
The video/audio of the meeting will download and when complete you can open/view the video file
The Housing Workshop begins approximately 30 minutes into the video
o Workshop Materials: Presentation Materials
Workshop 6 – Next Steps, Policy discussion for upcoming Homeless Housing Request for Proposals (August 3rd, 10:00 a.m.)
o Workshop recording will be posted:
Visit this link: https://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/government/board_of_county_commissioners/pav_doctypesrch.php
Enter 08/03/21 under “meeting date” and hit search
Select 08/03/21 Morning Meeting
The video/audio of the meeting will download and when complete you can open/view the video file
The Housing Workshop begins approximately 110 minutes (1:50 minutes) into the video
o Workshop materials:
Presentation Materials

CLOSED Request for Proposals - Hygiene Supports

Grays Harbor County has issued a request for proposals (“RFP”) to interested and qualified agencies to provide hygiene support services. Applicants must submit a narrative response to the questions at the end of this RFP, a new project application, and a budget. Programs to be funded through this request include:

Hygiene supports for Literally Homeless individuals. These programs will be funded through the Washington State Department of Commerce’s (“Commerce”) Emergency Solutions Grant Coronavirus (“ESG CV”) and must comply with ESG CV Guidelines (“Guidelines”) including but not limited to guidelines requiring data collection and documentation.

This RFP is intended for housing providers with the necessary capacity and experience to successfully deliver services to individuals who are literally homeless in a way that aligns with the Guidelines. This RFP opens March 23rd, 2022 and all proposals are due no later than April 13th at 4:30 p.m.

The full RFP can be found here. Other relevant material includes the ESG CV Guidelines, ESG Written Standards, and required ESG Data Elements.

For more information or questions please contact Cassie Lentz at clentz@co.grays-harbor.wa.us

In anticipation of the cold weather season and as part of establishing a coordinated continuum of care for individuals experiencing homelessness, the County is interested in contracting with a qualified agency to create and operate cold weather shelter resources in Grays Harbor County.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - CLOSED

Grays Harbor County (the “County”) is soliciting requests for proposals for the purpose of creating and operating cold weather shelter resources. Notice is hereby given that letters of interest and statement of qualifications will be received by Grays Harbor County, Washington, for cold weather emergency shelter programs by filing with the County at the location below. The full RFP can be found here.

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health

Attn: Curtis Steinhauer

2109 Sumner Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

csteinhauer@co.grays-harbor.wa.us

Applicant assumes full responsibility for the delivery method chosen. Applications must be clearly marked with NEW EMERGENCY SHELTER APPLICATION.

Qualifications submitted after the due date October 18th, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. will not be considered. Applicants accept all risks of late delivery of mailed submittals regardless of fault.

Request for Proposals - Closed

Grays Harbor County has issued a “Request for Proposals” to interested and qualified agencies to renew existing homeless housing programs currently funded by the County. Current contractors must provide a renewal request and verification of good-standing. New applicants must submit a narrative response to the questions at the end of the RFP and a new project application. the RFP will open August 18th, 2021 and all proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. September 16th, 2021.

The full Request for Proposals and application materials can be found here.

Grays Harbor County reserves the right to reject any and all submittals and to waive irregularities and informalities in the submittal and evaluation process. This RFP does not obligate the County to pay any costs incurred by respondents in the preparation and submission of their proposal. Furthermore, the RFP does not obligate the County to accept or contract for any expressed or implied services.

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health and Social Services

Attn: Curtis Steinhauer

2109 Sumner Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

csteinhauer@co.grays-harbor.wa.us

Any questions related to this application may be directed to:

Curtis Steinhauer, Housing Resource Coordinator

E-mail: csteinhauer@co.grays-harbor.wa.us

Phone: 360-589-0057

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - CLOSED

In response to the coronavirus pandemic and as part of establishing a coordinated continuum of care for individuals experiencing homelessness, the County is interested in contracting with a qualified agency to create and operate programs to be funded through the Emergency Solution Grant-CV in Grays Harbor County.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Grays Harbor County (the “County”) is soliciting requests for proposals for the purpose of creating and operating emergency shelter resources. Notice is hereby given that letters of interest and statement of qualifications will be received by Grays Harbor County, Washington, for emergency shelter programs by filing with the County at the location below. The full RFP can be found HERE.

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health

Attn: Curtis Steinhauer

2109 Sumner Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

csteinhauer@co.grays-harbor.wa.us

Applicant assumes full responsibility for the delivery method chosen. Applications must be clearly marked with NEW EMERGENCY SHELTER APPLICATION.

Qualifications submitted after the due date December 3rd, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. will not be considered. Applicants accept all risks of late delivery of mailed submittals regardless of fault.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - CLOSED

In response to the coronavirus pandemic and as part of establishing a coordinated continuum of care for individuals in need of rental and utility assistance, the County is interested in contracting with a qualified agency to create and operate programs to be funded through the Eviction Rent Assistance Program (ERAP 2.0) Grant in Grays Harbor County.

Grays Harbor County (the “County”) is soliciting requests for proposals for the purpose of creating and operating ERAP 2.0 grant resources. Notice is hereby given that letters of interest and statement of qualifications will be received by Grays Harbor County, Washington, for the ERAP 2.0 program by filing with the County at the location below. The full RFP can be found HERE.

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health

Attn: Natali Paccione

2109 Sumner Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

natali.paccione@co.grays-harbor.wa.us

Applicant assumes full responsibility for the delivery method chosen. Applications must be clearly marked with ERAP 2.0 PROGRAM APPLICATION.

Qualifications submitted after the due date December 1st, 2021 at 4 p.m. will not be considered. Applicants accept all risks of late delivery of mailed submittals regardless of fault.

Request for Information - CLOSED

Grays Harbor County is requesting information from qualified agencies for consideration in a thirty-six month, three year affordable housing capital projects funding schedule (pipeline). In an effort to organize limited funding as effectively as possible to increase affordable housing in our community, Grays Harbor County is requesting information from qualified agencies for consideration in a thirty six (36) month, three (3) year affordable housing capital projects funding schedule (pipeline).

This pipeline will provide the County with the ability to see a schedule of planned new and rehab construction projects for affordable housing in the community, and provide agencies facilitating these projects with a greater level of confidence to move forward in securing the necessary resources. The County reserves the right to request that Applicants submit additional information as may be requested by staff to clarify submitted information. Also, the County reserves the right to suspend, amend, or modify the provisions of this RFI, to reject all proposals, or to negotiate modifications of proposals.

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health

Attn: Curtis Steinhauer

2109 Sumner Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

csteinhauer@co.grays-harbor.wa.us

All questions must be submitted in writing and questions and answered will be posted on the County’s website www.healthygh.org/directory/housing.

Applications and related materials must be received no later than May 19, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. to be considered. The applicant assumes full responsibility for the delivery method chosen. Applications must be clearly marked with AFFORDABLE HOUSING PIPELINE APPLICATION.

Full Request for Information document can be found here.

Business Rules can be found here.

Resource documents:

Grays Harbor County Vacant Parcel Inventory
- PDF
- CVS/Excel
Washington State Department of Commerce “Surplus Property suitable for Affordable Housing”

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and as part of establishing a coordinated continuum of care for individuals experiencing homelessness, the County is interested in contracting with a qualified agency to create and operate new emergency shelter resources in Grays Harbor County.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - CLOSED

Grays Harbor County (the “County”) is soliciting requests for proposals for the purpose of creating and operating new emergency shelter resources. Notice is hereby given that letters of interest and statement of qualifications will be received by Grays Harbor County, Washington, for new emergency shelter programs by filing with the County at the location below.

Grays Harbor County Public Health Department

Attn: Curtis Steinhauer

2109 Sumner Ave

Aberdeen, WA

98520

csteinhauer@co.grays-harbor.wa.us

Full Request for Proposals materials can be found here.

Qualifications submitted after the due date January 20, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. will not be considered. Applicants accept all risks of late delivery of mailed submittals regardless of fault.

It is Grays Harbor County's policy to assure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin or sex, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise discriminated against under any of its federally funded programs and activities.

Q & A

On January 11th, Grays Harbor County Public Health staff hosted a virtual Q&A concerning the currently open Requests for Proposals for new Emergency Shelter programs. Members of the public may access this recording through the link below. If you missed this Q&A, questions concerning this RFP may be submitted in writing at any time to csteinhauer@co.grays-harbor.wa.us , answers to questions submitted in writing will be answered publicly on this website.

Topic: Emergency Shelter RFP Q&A

Start Time : Jan 11, 2021 01:58 PM

Meeting Recording:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/YW0U8PTVQtjTSBmfL6pxb2pTQeug-zRfK7vu1EYaDiRmNGVq0dfh5YVDLxx2C0qS.SHctcW75eiwhOO3M

CLOSED - Request for Proposals

Grays Harbor County has issued a “Request for Proposals” to interested and qualified agencies for the purpose of providing Permanent Supportive Housing to Chronically Homeless individuals. Applicants must provide a proposal and budget that covers how their agency will provide the noted deliverables for the available program area: The RFP will open November 16, 2020 and all proposals are due by 12:00 p.m. November 30, 2020. The County reserves the rights to reject any proposal that is incomplete or does not meet the requisite qualifications or to recommend contract amounts less than the maximum budget. This RFP does not obligate the County to pay any costs incurred by respondents in the preparation and submission of their proposal. Furthermore, the RFP does not obligate the County to accept or contract for any expressed or implied services.

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health

Attn: Curtis Steinhauer

2109 Sumner Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

csteinhauer@co.grays-harbor.wa.us

Applications and related materials must be received no later than November 30, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. to be considered. The applicant assumes full responsibility for the delivery method chosen. Applications must be clearly marked with MCKINNEY-VENTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE

HOUSING APPLICATION.

Full Request for Proposals and Application document can be found here.

CLOSED -Request for Information

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health

Attn: Curtis Steinhauer

2109 Sumner Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

csteinhauer@co.grays-harbor.wa.us

All questions must be submitted in writing and questions and answered will be posted on the County’s website www.healthygh.org/directory/housing.

Applications and related materials must be received no later than August 13th, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. to be considered. The applicant assumes full responsibility for the delivery method chosen. Applications must be clearly marked with AFFORDABLE HOUSING PIPELINE APPLICATION.

Full Request for Information document can be found here.

Business Rules can be found here.

Resource documents:

Grays Harbor County Vacant Parcel Inventory
- PDF
- CVS/Excel
Washington State Department of Commerce “Surplus Property suitable for Affordable Housing”
List of Tax Auction Properties owned/managed by Grays Harbor County:
- “Over the Counter for Sale”
- Master Tax Title properties list

CLOSED -Request for Proposals

Grays Harbor County has issued a “Request for Proposals” to interested and qualified agencies for the purpose of providing transitional Low Barrier Cold Weather Shelter. Applicants must provide a proposal and budget that covers how their agency will provide the noted deliverables for the available program area: The RFP will open July 8th, 2020 and all proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. August 10th, 2020. The County reserves the rights to reject any proposal that is incomplete or does not meet the requisite qualifications or to recommend contract amounts less than the maximum budget. This RFP does not obligate the County to pay any costs incurred by respondents in the preparation and submission of their proposal. Furthermore, the RFP does not obligate the County to accept or contract for any expressed or implied services.

Applications may be submitted via e-mail, mail, or in person at:

Grays Harbor County Public Health

Attn: Curtis Steinhauer

2109 Sumner Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

csteinhauer@co.grays-harbor.wa.us

Applications and related materials must be received no later than August 10th, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. to be considered. The applicant assumes full responsibility for the delivery method chosen. Applications must be clearly marked with COLD WEATHER SHELTER APPLICATION.

Full Request for Proposals document and instructions can be found here

To fulfill a 2018 legislative requirement, Grays Harbor County updated its local plan to address unmet housing needs.

The 2019-2024 Grays Harbor County Five Year Plan to Address Unmet Housing Needs is now available.

The County conducted extensive outreach throughout our community to present information about plan requirements and the impacts to funding availability. And, for the parts of the plan that allowed for flexibility, we gathered and incorporated stakeholder feedback.

The plan sets the community vision for addressing homelessness and unmet housing needs. It also, by law, is the road map for how local homeless housing funds can and will be invested.

Housing Stakeholder Coalition

A Housing Stakeholder Coalition has been formed as a platform for education and participation in implementation of strategies outlined in the 10-year Plan to End Homelessness (see below for more information about the plan).

It is an inclusive group of community stakeholders who have an interest or connection to housing programs and services in Grays Harbor. This group provides recommendations to the Housing Executive Committee and helps guide and implement the 10-year Plan's Work Plan.

The coalition will meet quarterly (January, April, July, and October) and participants may choose to engage with specific workgroups who may meet more regularly.

Meeting Schedule & Materials

Progress

In January 2020 Grays Harbor County was awarded funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide transitional housing for up to 8 survivors of Domestic Violence and their families. Read more about the grant and new resources here.
In October 2019 Grays Harbor County released the final grant report and system recommendations that resulted from a three-year USDA Rural Community Development Capacity Building grant.
In July 2019 Grays Harbor County was awarded funding through the Office of Homeless Youth to provide emergency shelter for youth experiencing homelessness. Read more about the grant and new resources here.
In July 2019 Coastal Community Action Program was awarded funding through the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program to provide outreach to youth and young adults experiencing homelessness.
In February 2019 Grays Harbor County was awarded funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide permanent supportive housing for up to 16 homeless residents. Read more about the grant and new resources here.
Washington State Department of Commerce has recently published several reports that outline the type and scale, as well as measure the effectiveness, of programs serving individuals experiencing homelessness. These reports also show trends in service and outcomes year-to-year.
- The Winter 2019 Report Card looks at how our county is doing in comparison to state-directed performance benchmarks including households served that exit to permanent housing and the number of households that return to homelessness after receiving services. The reporting period for this report is July 2017-June 2018.
- The Rapid Rehousing Dashboard focuses specifically on rental assistance programs that serve households who are actively experiencing homelessness. Its measures include prioritizing the most vulnerable clients, average time taken to place clients into permanent housing, increasing income, and the current status of households being served in the program. The reporting period for this report is July 2017-June 2018.
- The Temporary Housing Dashboard focuses specifically on emergency shelter programs that are serving households who are actively experiencing homelessness. Its measures include outcomes of exited households, who are the households active in the project, and Office of Homeless Youth Safe and Stable housing measures. It includes data locally from the Grays Harbor Youth Center, Domestic Violence Shelter, and Coastal Community Action Program’s Family Shelter. The reporting period for this report is July 2017-June 2018.
- NEW: The Homelessness Prevention Dashboard is now available. This report focuses specifically on homelessness prevention programs that are serving households at imminent risk of becoming homeless. Its measures include outcomes of exited households, the living situations of households prior to being served, and the number of “newly homeless” clients in each county. It includes local data from the Grays Harbor Youth Center and Coastal Community Action Program. The reporting period is July 2017-June 2018.
- The Year-to-Year Comparison report looks at trends in key data points over time. The reporting period for this report is October-September for each year highlighted.
- For more information about these measures, reporting periods, and definitions, visit https://public.tableau.com/profile/comhau#!/
The USDA Rural Community Development Initiative (awarded to Grays Harbor County in May 2016, see below for more information) will support a pilot project to provide outreach, engagement, assessment, and case management to homeless individuals with complex challenges (mental health issues, chemical dependency, physical disabilities, etc.). This collaborative partnership between housing, behavioral health, social services, and businesses will provide homeless individuals will housing and employment supports. The estimated launch date for this project is January 2018.
Grays Harbor County hosted a community training March 13-14, 2017 on housing best practices Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Supported Employment (SE) for individuals experiencing homelessness, presented by nationally recognized consultants Advocates for Human Potential. The goal of this training and other future opportunities is to build our community capacity to implement these best practices – which have been demonstrated as effective and cost saving for the most vulnerable in our community. Materials from this training include:
The Department of Commerce has recently published "County Report Cards" to track and report housing outcomes by county. Click here to view Grays Harbor's report card. The county is pleased to be meeting or exceeding nationally-set benchmarks in a variety of categories and believes this information will be useful to review and communicate progress made on our 10-year Plan to End Homelessness. The report card released this summer will reflect calendar year 2015 data, although for some measures data from other years may be included as a comparison.
In May 2016, Grays Harbor County was awarded funding through the USDA Rural Community Development Initiative to provide training, technical assistance and a crucial housing inventory to further the work of the 10-year Plan. Read more about the grant and the next steps here.

For more information or to join the Housing Stakeholder Coalition contact Curtis Steinhauer, Housing Resource Coordinator, at (360) 500-4064 or csteinhauer@co.grays-harbor.wa.us

The 10-year Plan to End Homelessness was approved in February 2016.

This plan is the product of a comprehensive process to understand the housing needs of Grays Harbor.

A dedicated committee of local housing providers gathered and analyzed data, identified areas of strength and weakness, learned what other communities like ours are doing to end homelessness, and recommended funding priorities for the next 10 years to our county commissioners.

Along the way, we gathered input from:

individuals experiencing homelessness
local housing providers, including landlords and local governments
law enforcement
churches and faith communities
schools
behavioral health and social service providers

This work is directed by the Homeless Housing and Assistance Act of 2005 and is funded by document recording fees.

The Homeless Housing and Assistance Act outlines requirements for both county governments and the State to address homelessness. The Act requires county governments to develop local plans to end homeless and to update the plan every 5 years.

2005 10-year Plan to End Homelessness

2010 Update

For more information, contact Kimberly Stoll-French at kimberly.stollfrench@grays-harbor.us.

categories Housing & homelessness

Syringe services

March 20, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Home > Syringe services

The Grays Harbor County Public Health and Social Services Department no longer administers syringe exchange services as of March 30, 2021. Willapa Behavioral Health began offering these services after April 1, 2021.

Current program hours are:

Tuesdays from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM.

516 E. First Street, Aberdeen, WA 98520 (Parking lot of Grays Harbor Treatment Solutions).

Syringe services is a public health program for people who inject drugs. The program’s primary goal is to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and reduce infections among people who inject drugs.

Syringe services provides new, sterile syringes, sharps containers, and clean injection equipment. This reduces the spread of HIV and other blood-borne infections among people who inject drugs, their families, and communities.

Syringe services include:

New, sterile syringes.
Naloxone distribution.
Referral to drug treatment
Referral to community resources, such as health care, behavioral health, housing, and food banks.
Access to safe disposal of used syringes for individuals who inject drugs.

Questions and answers

What is the current situation?

On December 18, 2018, the Grays Harbor County Board of Health adopted a resolution to end Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department’s syringe services program on June 30, 2019.

On April 25, 2019, the Grays Harbor County Board of Health reversed this decision; Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department will continue to provide syringe services.

In January 2021 the Grays Harbor County Board of Health voted to discontinue the County's administration of the syringe services program as of April 1, 2021.

In March 2021 Grays Harbor County received a letter of intent from Willapa Behavioral Health indicating they plan to provide services of collecting, exchanging, and disposing of syringes as well as offering information on services to recovery beginning in April 2021.

As of March 30, 2021 Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services no longer provides syringe exchange services.

For a directory of local, regional, and statewide syringe service programs please visit https://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/DrugUserHealth/SyringeServicePrograms/Directory.

What are syringe services programs?

Syringe services programs (SSPs) are community-based public health programs that serve people who inject drugs. SSPs generally have four core components:

Provide free, sterile syringes and other supplies to prevent the spread of infectious disease.
Facilitate safe disposal of used syringes.
Offer education about overdose prevention and safer injection practices, such as training on how to use naloxone (an overdose-reversal drug).
Provide referrals or access to additional medical, mental, or social services, including HIV and hepatitis C testing and drug treatment and counseling

SSPs reduce the risk of HIV, hepatitis C, and other bloodborne pathogens by increasing access to sterile syringes, removing used syringes from the community, and educating clients about how to prevent the spread of infectious disease and reduce their risk of abscesses and infections.

How long have syringe services existed in Grays Harbor County? Are there other syringe services programs in Washington State?

Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department has operated a syringe services program since 2004. The program was authorized by Resolution #BOH-04-01, approved by Grays Harbor County Board of Health on January 15, 2004.

Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services discontinued administration of this program as of March 30, 2021. Willapa Behavioral Health has indicated plans to conitnue the service as of April 2021.

According to Washington State Department of Health, there are currently 24 syringe services programs operating around Washington State that serve over 45 different locations.

For a directory of local, regional, and statewide syringe service programs please visit https://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/DrugUserHealth/SyringeServicePrograms/Directory.

Are syringe services programs legal?

Yes.

In Washington State, local Boards of Health are given broad authority to “enact such local rules and regulations as are necessary in order to preserve, promote and improve the public health and provide for the enforcement thereof.” This allows local Boards of Health to approve syringe services programs within their jurisdiction. (RCW 70.05.060)

Washington State drug paraphernalia laws do not prohibit the legal distribution of syringes through public health, community based HIV prevention programs, and pharmacies. (RCW 69.50.4121) They also allow any person over the age of 18 to possess sterile syringes for the purpose of reducing bloodborne diseases. (RCW 69.50.412).

Why do syringe services programs make public health sense?

SSPs improve community health. ([CDC][7])

• SSPs reduce HIV, Hepititis C, and other disease transmission.

• SSPs do not increase crime or drug use.

• SSPs connect people to other health services, including HIV testing and care services and drug treatment.

• SSPs facilitate safe syringe disposal, so that police officers, emergency medical responders, and community members are less likely to have a needlestick injury.

• SSPs save health care dollars by preventing infections from blood borne viruses and abscesses from dull, contaminated syringes.

• SSPs reduce overdose death through education about how to prevent and respond to overdose situations.

SSPs are an important part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the harms of drug use. ([Surgeon General Report On Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, 2016][8])

Historically, society has treated substance use disorders as a moral weakness or as a willful rejection of societal norms, addressing these problems primarily through the criminal justice system.

Evidence now shows that addiction to alcohol or drugs is a chronic, but treatable, brain disorder that requires medical intervention, and has the potential for both recurrence and recovery.

Building on the federal public health approach, many communities are developing public health approaches to address substance misuse. A public health approach seeks to understand the broad factors that influence substance misuse and substance use disorders and applies that knowledge to improve the health, safety, and well-being of the entire population.

In Grays Harbor County, the health department takes a comprehensive public health approach to reducing substance misuse.

• [My Town][9] and Harbor Strong coalitions are focused on preventing underage drug use. Coalition members represent multiple sectors of the community, including; schools, media, private business, city officials, law enforcement, medical, behavioral health treatment, parents and students. These efforts also include a school-based prevention component, which is conducted in partnership with ESD 113, Hoquiam School District and Aberdeen School District.

• Grays Harbor Therapeutic Court provides qualifying individuals who have abused substances with an opportunity for judicially supervised treatment as an alternative to incarceration.

• The Overdose Prevention Project distributes naloxone and conducts overdose response education to those at risk of witnessing or experiencing an opioid overdose. This includes community health workers, lay responders, and law enforcement officers. Project staff also collaborated with other community organizations to write and carry out the Grays Harbor County Opioid Needs Assessment and Response Plan, written in 2018.

• The Rural Response to the Opioid Epidemic project brings stakeholders together to reduce death and disease associated with opioid overdose among individuals who come in contact with law enforcement or criminal justice systems.

Are there other ways that people can get new, sterile syringes?

Syringes may be available for purchase at retail pharmacies. Washington State does not require a prescription to purchase syringes at a retail pharmacy.

Medicaid and other insurance may partially or completely cover these costs. - List of GH Pharmacies

Neighboring Syringe Service Programs

Lewis County : Gather Church Harm Reduction Program

Centralia Harm Reduction Van at W. Reynolds Ave & Johnson Road (under the I-5 overpass)
Wednesdays 4-6 p.m.
Contact: Cole Meckle 425-218-3060
http://gatherchurch.com/about

Mason County: Substance use mobile outreach of Mason County

Belfair – parking lot of Community Food Pantry at 71 NE Old Belfair Highway
Tuesdays 11-1

Skokomish Health Clinic – lot quarter of a mile north of Lucky Dog Casino at 19670 N Hwy 101

Kamilche – adjacent to the Kamilche Trading Post 3850 SE Old Olympic Hwy
Thursdays 11-1 and 2-4 p.m.

Contact: Christina Muller-Shinn 360-427-9670 ext. 128
www.healthymasoncounty.com

Thurston County: Emma Goldman Youth & Homeless Outreach Program (EGYHOP)

Corner of State Ave NE and Washington St NE downtown Olympia
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
egyhopolympia@gmail.com
www.egyhop.org
www.facebook.com/egyhopolympia

Thurston County: Public Health & Social Services

Tuesdays & Thursdays
12 noon – 5 pm
1000 Cherry St SE
Olympia, WA 98501
Entrance is on the back of the building (east facing)

Wednesdays – mobile services
By appointment only
Call 360.490.9155
for details & to schedule an appointment
www.co.thurston.wa.us/health

Pierce County: Tacoma Needle Exchange

South 14th and G Street (Tacoma)
Wednesdays 1-6 p.m.

Tacoma Pierce County Health Department Mondays and Fridays 1-4 p.m.

Deliveries in Pierce County Monday – Friday by appointment https://www.tacomaneedleexchange.org/delivery-schedule

Contact: Hanna Caroll-Day 253-334-9576 hanna@nasen.org
http://tacomaneedleexchange.org

Do syringe services programs increase syringe litter? What should I do if I find a syringe?

We share everyone’s desire for a clean, safe community. Research shows that cities with syringe services programs have less syringe litter than cities without syringe services programs.

It can be unsettling to find a syringe; it is a reminder of the complex problems our community is experiencing.

If you find a syringe, you can help make sure it is disposed of safely.

• If the syringe is on public property, like a city park, call the city or town to report it.

• If the syringe is on private property, tell the landlord or business owner.

• If you want to clean up the syringe yourself, use a pair of tongs to pick up the syringe and put it into a sharps container or some other thick-walled container that can be sealed. Call your local trash collector for disposal instructions.

Visit SeeANeedle.com for resources that can help you teach children what to do if they find a syringe.

Other Information

Contact LeMay Inc. to learn how to properly dispose of syringes in your garbage (Grays Harbor County only) (website)

Visit SeeANeedle.com to learn what to do if you or your child finds a used needle (website)

Download and print a fact sheet about the benefits of syringe services programs (.pdf)

Download and print a fact sheet about safe syringe disposal from Washington State Department of Health (.pdf)

Download and print a fact sheet about syringe services programs, from Washington State Department of Health (.pdf)

HIV

The CDC recommends that health care providers test everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. Please see your health care provider for more information about HIV testing.
The Washington State Department of Health website offers links to a variety of HIV-related information.

Hepatitis C

The CDC recommends that health care providers test all adults born from 1945 through 1965 for Hepatitis C at least once as part of routine health care. Those who are currently injecting drugs or who have ever injected drugs should also be tested for Hepatitis C. Please see your health care provider for more information about Hepatitis C testing.
The Washington State Department of Health website offers links to a variety of Hepatitis C-related information.

Fentanyl

There are reports that fentanyl is in the Grays Harbor drug market.

Fentanyl is being sold in:

pill form as fake oxycodone, Xanax, and other club drugs
powder form as heroin or fent
powder form mixed into drugs like crystal meth and cocaine

Fentanyl is 50-100 times more potent than heroin or morphine. The high potency of fentanyl greatly increases the risk of overdose, especially if a person who uses drugs is unaware that a powder or pill contains fentanyl.

If someone overdoses, always call 911 first. If you have naloxone, follow protocols for using it. Give them one dose, wait 2-3 minutes to see if they respond, then give a second dose. Because fentanyl is so strong, the help of emergency responders, who will have more naloxone, is critical.

Download and print a fentanyl warning sheet (.pdf)

categories Adult health

Suicide prevention

March 02, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Home > Suicide prevention

We are glad you are here.

IT’S OK TO NOT BE OK

HELP IS HERE 24/7, 365 DAYS A YEAR

Call or text 988, or live chat at 988lifeline.org

The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

GET MORE INFORMATION ON 988 SERVICES AT https://988lifeline.org/

Additional resources

The Trevor Project
Offers suicide intervention services for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 through telephone, text, or chat.

Trans Lifeline
Offers suicide intervention services for people who are gender non-comforming.

Teen Link
A resource line for teens, staffed by trained teens.

Veterans’ Crisis Line
Connect with a crisis responder over the phone, chat, or text.

Other help

NowMattersNow
Videos that hack suffering.

ThriveGrays.org
Free online therapy and resources for mental health and substance problems.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center

Accurate, up-to-date information. Free trainings, toolkits, research, and data. Culturally-specific information.

We R Native

For Native youth, by Native youth.

Build your skills in preventing suicide

Get trained in QPR - Question, Persuade, Refer.

This 60-90 minute training can help you:

Know the warning signs.
2. Know how to talk with someone about your concerns for them.
3. Know how to get them help.

Trainings are available in English or Spanish.

FREE individual and corporate training is available, sponsored by CHOICE Regional Health Network - click here for information and upcoming class dates or call 360-754-7629 to register.

Online and in-person training for a fee available from the QPR Institute. Visit qprinstitute.com for more information, online training opportunities and a list of nearby in-person instructors.

Learn the 5 steps to help someone in crisis.

Ask
Keep them safe
Be there
Help them connect
Follow up

Learn more

Send a caring message.

Send a note, text, or email to show someone that you care about them.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Be non-judmental.

Resist any urges to tell people what to do.

Instead of "I care about you and I want you to call me as soon as you get this,"

try, "I care about you. If you ever want to talk, drop me a line."

Show them that you believe in them.

Even if you are worried about them, focus on how much you believe in them, or have hope for them.

Instead of "I love you and am worried about you because..."

try, "I love you and I know you've been through a lot and are strong."

Be yourself, and no one else.

If you are a friend, remember that you do not need to play the role of a parent, therapist, or faith leader. You only need to be you and show you care.

More examples of caring messages.

Learn how to talk about suicide in a compassionate and accurate way.

Examples

5-minute tutorial

Responsible reporting guidelines
(for media professionals)

categories Adult health, Child & adolescent health

WASHINGTON STATE PROJECT TO PREVENT PRESCRIPTION DRUG/OPIOID OVERDOSE (WA-PDO)

February 14, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Home > Overdose prevention project

WA-PDO is a statewide network of organizations mobilizing communities, providing overdose response training, and increasing access to naloxone through community programs and systems. This federally awarded grant is administered by the Washington Department of Health and is one of the strategies listed in the State Opioid and Overdose Response Plan under goal 3: Ensure and Improve the Health and Wellness of Individuals That Use Drugs.

This grant specifically seeks to increase access to naloxone for individuals who are at risk of having or witnessing an overdose.

Locally, this project is a collaborative effort between the Department of Health and Willapa Behavioral Health. For more information contact Sean Hemmerle at sean.hemmerle@doh.wa.gov.

The Washington State Project to Prevent Prescription Drug/Opioid Overdose (WA-PDO) was a five-year project implemented by ADAI and many syringe service programs across WA State to provide overdose prevention and response training and distribute naloxone. The project has released a new report describing the results of 5 years of naloxone distribution to people who use opioids and to law enforcement in WA State.

Read the full report here:

https://adai.uw.edu/new-report-wa-state-project-to-prevent-prescription-drug-opioid-overdose-final-report-on-naloxone-distribution/

The WA-PDO project recently received renewal funding through 2026 and is now administered by the WA State Department of Health:

WA State DOH Overdose Education and Naloxone.

Why was Grays Harbor County selected as an Overdose Prevention Project site?

We know that opioid use and overdose is a problem in Grays Harbor County.

Our syringe services program, which began in 2004, exchanged 759,818 needles in 2016.
Grays Harbor County has a higher rate of opioid-related deaths than Washington state as a whole. (Source: Washington State Department of Health Center for Health Statistics.)

The Grays Harbor Overdose Prevention Project will help get people who use opioids into treatment and prevent opioid-related deaths.

Does providing naloxone make people more likely to use drugs?

There is no evidence that giving people naloxone makes them more likely to use more drugs. It does, however, keep them alive to be able to seek treatment when they are ready. Going through withdrawal is painful and unpleasant. Research has shown that people who use heroin and are trained as overdose responders actually use less heroin over time as they assume new “peer leader” roles in their communities.

What is naloxone?

Naloxone is a prescription medicine that temporarily blocks the effect of opioids (heroin, OxyContin, Percocet, dilaudid, fentanyl, methadone, etc.). This helps a person start breathing again and wake up from an opioid overdose. It has no effect on other drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, alcohol, or benzodiazepines.

Naloxone comes in three different forms: liquid injectable, nasal spray (NARCAN), and auto-injector (Evzio).

What is the purpose of naloxone distribution?

The purpose of this program is to prevent deaths from opioid overdoses. Naloxone is a short-term fix for a complicated problem that can only be addressed if the person is alive.

Who can legally possess naloxone?

Naloxone is a prescription medication. Washington state law (RCW 69.41.095) allows anyone “at risk for having or witnessing a drug overdose” to obtain naloxone and administer it in an overdose situation. Naloxone is not a scheduled or controlled drug so it is safe for anyone to possess.

Can I get in trouble for helping out in an overdose situation?

In Washington state, anyone trying to help in a medical emergency is generally protected from civil liabilities by RCW 4.24.300. Washington state's 911 Good Samaritan Overdose Law RCW 69.50.315 gives additional, specific protections against drug possession charges:

If you seek medical assistance in a drug-related overdose, you cannot be prosecuted for drug possession.
The overdose victim is also protected from drug possession charges.
Anyone in Washington state who might have or witness an opioid overdose is allowed to carry and administer naloxone (RCW 69.41.095).

How can I get naloxone for myself?

Naloxone is currently being distributed at:

Syringe Services Program operated by Willapa Behavioral Health - see www.healthygh.org/directory/syringe for more information.

Washington State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy has signed a standing order for naloxone. This standing order works like a prescription and allows any person or organization in the state to get naloxone from a pharmacy if you or your loved one is at risk of an overdose. Locally, Rite Aid, Safeway, and Walmart participate in this standing order distribution.

If you get naloxone from a pharmacy, you may have to pay a co-pay or deductible, depending on the terms of your health insurance plan.

How will I know how to use naloxone? What training is available?

Training is available to individuals who get naloxone at the syringe services program. Participants are trained to recognize and systematically respond to an overdose. They are also informed about what puts users at risk of overdose and avenues for recovering from addiction.

www.stopoverdose.org has training videos and resources for all lay responders.

Other resources

Download and print the Opioid Needs Assessment and Response Plan, February 2018 (.pdf)

Download and print the meeting summary from the initial stakeholder meeting of the opioid Overdose Prevention Project, May 2017 (.pdf)

Download and print the results of the Opioid Needs Assessment survey, January 2018 (.pdf)

Download and print a document describing local efforts to address the opiate misuse crisis in Grays Harbor (.pdf)

Download and print the Grays Harbor Opioid Needs Assessment Stakeholder meeting minutes from February 22, 2018 (.pdf)

El único video específicamente por estado de WA, esta capacitación describe los riesgos de sobredosis y la Ley del Buen Samaritano del estado de Washington, y muestra una demonstración sobre cómo ayudar en una sobredosis de opioids (incluida la resp… — El único video específicamente por estado de WA, esta capacitación describe los riesgos de sobredosis y la Ley del Buen Samaritano del estado de Washington, y muestra una demonstración sobre cómo ayudar en una sobredosis de opioids (incluida la respiración de rescate y la naloxone). Produced by StopOverdose.org

Download and print the FAQ document (.pdf)

Download and print the Sobredosis de opioides brochure (.pdf)

Download and print the SAMHSA Opioid Overdose Prevention TOOLKIT (.pdf)

Information about Washington State’s standing order for naloxone (website)

Download and print the Secure Medicine Take Back brochure (.pdf)

categories Reducing drug use

Opioid response

February 10, 2020Leigh Rowley

Many people in our community are being affected by opioid use disorder.

If you or someone you know is experiencing opioid use disorder, you can get help.

Need information about treatment options?

OPEN - Request for Proposals for Jail Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD)/Medication for Alcohol Use Disorder (MAUD) Services

Through funding from the Washington State Health Care Authority via the 2021 MOUD in Jails Program Grays Harbor County (in partnership with the City of Aberdeen and the City of Hoquiam) is soliciting requests for proposals for the purpose of providing MOUD/MAUD prescribing and relevant medical oversight in the municipal jails of Aberdeen and Hoquiam. Notice is hereby given that letters of interest and statement of qualifications will be received by the County, for Jail MOUD/MAUD Services by filing with the County at the location below.

Proposals will be accepted through 4:30 p.m. on October 1, 2024.

Read the full Request for Proposals document.

Questions contact Wilma Weber at wweber@graysharbor.us or 360-500-4069

1. Can the police departments transport individuals to a clinic for evaluation?

Answer: Transporting individuals to a clinic for evaluation is not possible due to the impact on staff time. Services are expected to be provided in the jail.

2. Can the population be served by telehealth?

Answer: The provider would need to be able to conduct an assessment without the need of adjunct medical/clinical staff. The workload in the jail varies greatly (with attorney visits and court proceedings) and it is not always possible to schedule exact times for telehealth visits.

Read the full report here:

https://adai.uw.edu/new-report-wa-state-project-to-prevent-prescription-drug-opioid-overdose-final-report-on-naloxone-distribution/

The WA-PDO project recently received renewal funding through 2026 and is now administered by the WA State Department of Health:

WA State DOH Overdose Education and Naloxone.

CLOSED Request for Proposals - Jail Re-Entry Services

Grays Harbor County has issued a “Request for Proposals” (RFP) to interested and qualified agencies, to provide re-entry care coordination services to identified individuals in the County Jail. Through funding from the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) and the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP). Proposals will be accepted through 4:30 p.m. on June 29, 2022.

You can find the full Request for Proposals document here.

Questions contact Wilma Weber at wweber@graysharbor.us or 360-500-4069

CLOSED Request for Proposals - Jail Substance Use Disorder Services

Through funding from the Rural Response to the Opioid Epidemic Grant (RROE) and , Grays Harbor County (the “County”) is soliciting requests for proposals for the purpose of providing SUD services to identified individuals incarcerated in the Grays Harbor County Jail (the “Jail”) to support a continuum of care and path to recovery. Proposals will be accepted through 4:30 p.m. on June 29, 2022.

You can find the full Request for Proposals document here.

Questions contact Wilma Weber at wweber@graysharbor.us or 360-500-4069

CLOSED - Request for Proposals - Re-Entry Care Coordinator

Coastal Community Action Program was awarded the contract for Re-Entry Care Coordinator. Contracted services will begin in January of 2021.

CLOSED - Request for Qualifications - Jail In-Reach SUD Assessments

Three agencies responded to the RFQ and met the criteria for contracting. Columbia Wellness, Lifeline Connections and Medtriq will be awarded contracts to have “in-reach” assessments reimbursed per arrangement.

All people experiencing opioid use disorder can improve their wellness.

group of people with arms around [Converted]-01.png

We work with community partners to:

Prevent opioid use.

My Town Coalition

Harbor Strong

Rural Response to the Opioid Epidemic project -

Reduce the harm from opioid use.

Syringe services

Overdose prevention project

Provide opportunities for judicially-supervised treatment.

Grays Harbor County Drug Court

You can learn more.

For questions about our opioid response programs, contact health@co.grays-harbor.wa.us.
Washington State Department of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

More resources:

Vaccines

February 10, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Home > Vaccines

Vaccines prevent a person from getting sick.

Some vaccines are given by poking a needle into the skin (these type of vaccines are called "shots"). Some vaccines are sprayed into the nose (like some types of flu vaccines). Some vaccines are eaten (like the Rotavirus vaccine).

Vaccines are a safe and effective way to keep you, your family, and your community healthy.

Vaccines recommended for adults

Vaccine Clinic

The Grays Harbor County Public Health and Social Services Department's clinic gives some vaccines to adults. We do not give vaccines to children.

Washington 2-1-1 can help you find a health care provider that gives vaccines to children.

Call 2-1-1 or visit wa211.org.

Vaccine Records

The Washington State Department of Health provides parents and guardians access to their family members' immunization records at MyIR.net. Go to MyIR.net or call (866) 397-0337.

Adult Vaccine Program

The Washington State Adult Vaccine Program provides a limited amount of vaccine for adults 19 years of age and older who are uninsured or underinsured. Currently, we have a limited supply of Tdap, influenza and Shingrix (shingles) vaccine. Please call (360) 532-8631 and ask to speak to a nurse to see if you are eligible.

Childhood Vaccine Program

The Washington State Childhood Vaccine Program provides vaccine to all kids less than 19 years of age in Washington. The program uses a combination of federal and state funds to purchase vaccines and distributes them to health care providers. If you are a health care provider interested in participating in this program, email the Washington State Department of Health at wachildhoodvaccines@doh.wa.gov.

categories Child & adolescent health, Adult health

Breastfeeding

December 05, 2019Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Home > Breastfeeding

Help is available for breast/chestfeeding mothers.

We can answer questions and provide support for breastfeeding mothers.

WIC participants have access to two International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) and a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor.

Carmela Lopez, IBCLC is available for in-person and phone appointments for clients that speak English and Spanish.

Carmela: (360) 591-4028

Kimberly McLaury, IBCLC is available for in-person visits, by appointment.

Kimberly: (360) 589-1809

Mina Fontenelle is a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor and is available for phone appointments to support breastfeeding parents and answer breastfeeding questions.

Mina: (360) 660-5113

What are some of the health benefits of breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding protects babies from infections and illnesses, including diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia.
Breastfed babies are less likely to develop asthma.
Children who are breastfed for six months are less likely to become obese.
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Mothers who breastfeed have a decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Information for Parents and Families

Meet Your Breastfeeding Peer Counselor!

Hello Grays Harbor Community,

My name is Mina Fontenelle and I am the WIC Peer Breast/Body/Chestfeeding Counselor for Grays Harbor County Public Health. I am excited to meet and welcome you to our platform. We hope to provide our community with the support and tools to better your breast/body/chestfeeding journey.

I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, just a few hours away from the Harbor. I have been living in the area since 2014 and appreciate the diverse activities the Harbor has to offer. I started my breastfeeding story with the birth of my daughter in April of 2020. It was a challenging time to give birth and I struggled with breastfeeding. I hope my personal history and training will help guide you through your own experiences. My focus is to better our community through support, conversations and shared understanding of the power of lactation. Thank you for your time and visiting our website.

Where can I find more information?

categories Food & nutrition

Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs

July 02, 2019Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Home > Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs

The Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs program offers

family support,
care coordination, &
health information

for children (age 17 or younger) who have, or are at risk of having, a condition which may prevent them from growing, developing, or playing like other children.

Learn More: (360) 532-8631

We can help.

Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs is a free program that connects young people and their families to resources and services.

If your child is age 17 or younger and has, or is at risk of having, a condition which may prevent them from growing, developing, or playing like other children, your family is eligible for these services regardless of income.

Some conditions that children with special health care needs might have include:

asthma
autism
cancer
cerebral palsy
Down syndrome

cleft lip and/or palate
cystic fibrosis
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
prematurity
speech/language delay

sickle cell anemia
diabetes
juvenile arthritis
epilepsy
blindess
hearing loss
gross and/or fine motor delay

The program can help families:

find assistance for their child with special needs.
find financial assistance.
schedule appointments and transportation.
get services for their child, such as medical care.
find information about health insurance programs.

Families can refer themselves to the program; or, referrals can be made by schools or medical and service providers.

Additional resources

Developmental disabilities - Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

The Center for Children with Special Needs

Washington Health Plan Finder

The Arc of Grays Harbor

Family Health Hotline

categories Child & adolescent health

For healthcare providers

March 27, 2019Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Epi News is faxed to healthcare offices during events of public health significance.

Health Alert: Immediate action needed
Health Update: Updated information on Alert or Advisory

Health Advisory: May require immediate action
Info Service: Not of an emergent nature

Featured

May 16, 2024

Increase in Pertussis cases in several Washington Jurisdictions

May 16, 2024

May 10, 2024

Information about MPox

May 10, 2024

Aug 31, 2021

Health Advisory: Get your patients back on track with routine vaccinations.

Aug 31, 2021

Feb 24, 2021

Updated Treatment Recommendations for Gonococcal Infection

Feb 24, 2021

Jun 15, 2020

COVID-19 updates for providers: Expanded demographics required by providers and laboratories on all COVID-19 testing and result reporting

Jun 15, 2020

Jun 10, 2020

Health Update: COVID-19 updates for providers & New Health Order

Jun 10, 2020

May 22, 2020

Health Update: COVID-19 updates for providers

May 22, 2020

May 19, 2020

Health Update: The use of experimental antiviral medication remdesivir to treat severe cases of COVID-19

May 19, 2020

May 12, 2020

Health Advisory: Pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome potentially associated with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in children

May 12, 2020

May 8, 2020

Health Update: New isolation guidance for COVID-19

May 8, 2020

May 1, 2020

Health Advisory: COVID-19 updates for providers

May 1, 2020

Apr 27, 2020

Health Advisory: Health Officer Interim Recommendations for SARS-CoV2 Antibody Testing

Apr 27, 2020

Apr 24, 2020

Health Update: Continued Testing at Community-Based Testing Site

Apr 24, 2020

Apr 22, 2020

Health Update: Expanded Testing at Community-Based Testing Site Continues Through April 27, 2020

Apr 22, 2020

Apr 20, 2020

Health Update: Guidance for Daily COVID-19 Screening of Staff and Visitors

Apr 20, 2020

Apr 15, 2020

Health Update: Expanded Testing at Community-Based Testing Site

Apr 15, 2020

Apr 10, 2020

Health Update: Commuity Based Testing Site Offered for COVID-19 Priority Population

Apr 10, 2020

Apr 3, 2020

Health Update: COVID-19 Priority Testing

Apr 3, 2020

Mar 16, 2020

Health Update: COVID-19 Outbreak

Mar 16, 2020

Mar 12, 2020

Health Advisory: COVID-19 Outbreak

Mar 12, 2020

Mar 11, 2020

Health Advisory: COVID-19 Outbreak

Mar 11, 2020

Mar 10, 2020

Health Update: COVID-19 Outbreak

Mar 10, 2020

Info Service: Grays Harbor Public Health (GHPH) – Phone Script regarding COVID-19

Mar 10, 2020

Mar 9, 2020

Health Update: COVID-19 Outbreak

Mar 9, 2020

Mar 6, 2020

Health Update: COVID-19 Outbreak

Mar 6, 2020

Mar 3, 2020

Health Update: COVID-19 Outbreak

Mar 3, 2020

Feb 28, 2020

Health Update: COVID-19 Outbreak

Feb 28, 2020

Feb 26, 2020

Health Update: COVID-19 Outbreak

Feb 26, 2020

Feb 25, 2020

Health Update: COVID-19 Outbreak

Feb 25, 2020

Feb 24, 2020

Health Update: COVID-19 Outbreak

Feb 24, 2020

Communicable disease reporting

The Grays Harbor County Public Health and Social Services Department protects the community by controlling and preventing the spread of infectious diseases in Grays Harbor County. We do this by:

Receiving reports from health care providers about cases of notifiable communicable diseases as required by law.
Investigating cases and providing education to people with communicable diseases and their contacts.
Reducing the spread of disease by providing and promoting vaccines.
Providing updated information to area health care providers about local, national, and global issues of public health concern.
Educating the community about diseases of concern.
Identifying potential sources of disease transmission.
Using appropriate public health methods to stop the spread of disease.

Report notifiable conditions to:

Communicable Disease Program
Grays Harbor County Public Health and Social Services Dept.
2109 Sumner Avenue
Aberdeen, WA 98520
Phone: (360) 532-8631
After-hours phone: (360) 581-1401
Fax: (360) 533-6272

Resources

STD case report form (.pdf)
Lists of notifiable conditions for:
- Health Care Providers (.pdf)
- Laboratories (.pdf)
- Veterinarians (.pdf)
Legal requirements for the reporting of notifiable conditions.

Flu prevention resources

Flu season can begin as early as October and last as late as May, with flu activity most commonly peaking between December and February.

Encourage your patients to fight the flu with these free resources:

categories Health care providers

Developmental disabilities

March 12, 2019Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Home > Developmental disabilities

We believe everyone should be included at school, at work, and in the community so that they can live a full life and pursue their dreams.

Overview

Grays Harbor County’s Developmental Disability program empowers and supports people who have developmental or intellectual disabilities or special needs. We work to increase information about developmental disabilities and we promote understanding and inclusion of individuals with disabilities.

We partner with advocacy groups, schools, the business community, and local, state, and federal agencies.

Experience has taught us that people with developmental disabilities have the skills, interests, and talents to enhance their community. We also know that employment is a powerful way to contribute to the community.

For more information about our history and the services we provide, please visit Washington State Developmental Disabilities Administration’s (DDA) website:

To contact the Grays Harbor County Developmental Disabilities program coordinator, please call or email Dee Dee Garman at (360) 500-4070 or dgarman@co.grays-harbor.wa.us.

Services and eligibility

Community information, education, and referral services

We inform and educate the public and school personnel about developmental disabilities and related services. We do this through information and referrals, workshops, support groups, liaison for school IEP/504 meetings, and assistance with applying for state and federal services. This service helps people with developmental disabilities, their families, and other stakeholders learn how to navigate the developmental disabilities, social services, and school systems.

Who is eligible for this service? This service is available to anyone with developmental disabilities and their family.
Who are the qualified providers of this service in Grays Harbor County?
- The Arc of Grays Harbor, (360) 537-7000

Individual supported employment services

We assist adults age 21+ who have developmental disabilities and are seeking employment. We provide job training, skill development, job placement, and follow-up services to help the person remain successfully employed. Supports and service levels are based on the needs of the individual.

Who is eligible for this service? To be eligible, all participants must be receiving services from Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) | DSHS.
Who are the qualified providers of this service in Grays Harbor County?
- Coastal Community Action Program, (360) 533-5100
- Morningside, (360) 209-6311

Community inclusion services

We help people with developmental disabilities build and strengthen relationships and become members in clubs, associations, and/or organizations.

Who is eligible for this service? To be eligible, all participants must be receiving services from Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) | DSHS.
Who are the qualified providers of this service in Grays Harbor County?
- Coastal Community Action Program, (360) 533-5100
- Morningside, (360) 209-6311

Click here to download a one-page flyer about this program.

Helpful resources and links

Developmental Disabilities Administration | Offers a variety of home- and community-based services for children and adults with developmental disabilities including Medicaid Personal Care, Employment/Day, Supported Living, therapies, and respite.

Informing Families | Provides up-to-date resource information and planning tools for individuals with developmental disabilities of all ages.

My Life Plan | An online planning tool.

Chartering the Life Course | pamphlet on planning and services.

Parent to Parent (P2P) Programs (Arc of Washington State) | Helps parents connect one-to-one with a trained, experienced parent (based on similar diagnoses and/or family issues), information and referrals, workshops, trainings, and support services.

Washington State Fathers Network | Supports fathers and families of children with special needs.

Disability Movement Coalition (through Arc of Grays Harbor) | Connects people with intellectual/developmental disabilities, family members, guardians, and concerned citizens with people who have lived experience. Disability Movement Coalition helps them organize their voices on important legislative issues that affect their lives.

Arc of Washington State | Advocates for quality services and necessary funding to meet the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

Special Olympics Washington | Provides year-round sports training and athletic competition.

Apply to become a provider

Open request for qualifications | Services for individuals with developmental disabilities

This request for qualification (RFQ) provides an opportunity to submit an application for consideration as an agency qualified to provide services in Grays Harbor County.

An agency currently working under a county contract need not respond to this RFQ.

Grays Harbor County contracts with local qualified services providers utilizing funding from the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) to provide the following services:

Community information, education, and referral
Individual supported employment
Community inclusion

Each service is described in the application. All instructions are available in the application.

Download and print RFQ application (.docx)

Provider Subcontract Agreements:

Definitions

FY2024 Quarterly Report-ARC

Quarterly Report Template

Service Plan

Data Security Requirements

BARS

Additional Hours Request

Individualized Plan

Status Update Form

categories Adult health, Child & adolescent health

Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD)

October 23, 2018Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Home > Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD)

Every child deserves healthy teeth.

The Access to Baby and Child Dentistry program (ABCD) connects families with dentists who know how to care for young kids. This prevents early tooth decay and starts children on a lifelong path to good oral health.

Parents

What does ABCD do?

Helps you find a dentist
Keeps baby teeth healthy
Easy exams

Providers

ABCD dentists provide quality dental care and treatment to eligible children. ABCD dentists receive enhanced fees through Medicaid for providing certain preventative and restorative procedures.

Become an ABCD provider

Attend a training - it can be arranged in your own office
The University of Washington, the Health Care Authority, and the local ABCD office will issue you a certification

Partners

Help us spread the word about the importance of good oral health in early childhood. Refer any Apple Health (Medicaid) families with young children to us.

Refer children to ABCD

Hand out our program information
Submit a referral form and we will contact your client

Enrollment Form

Online Enrollment

categories Child & adolescent health

Contact Us

Directory of services & programs

December 04, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Are you interested in responding to the current COVID-19 crisis? Visit our Grays Harbor Public Health Volunteer Opportunities page for more information and our volunteer form.

There are two types of MRC volunteers: medical and non-medical.

Medical

Non-medical

October 28, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

For more information about the PAT program call 360.532.8631.

July 30, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Annual Housing System Performance Reports

We believe that everyone should have a safe and healthy place to live.

How Many People Experiencing Homelessness Live in Grays Harbor?

What is Grays Harbor County’s Plan to Address Homelessness?

What is Grays Harbor County doing to Prevent Homelessness?

What is Grays Harbor County doing to house people experiencing homelessness?

What is Grays Harbor County doing to increase Affordable Housing?

April 08, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

We believe that everyone should have a safe and healthy place to live.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

CLOSED - 05/15/2024 - Request for Proposals for “Tiny Home” Prototype and Exhibition Services

Questions and Answers:

CLOSED - Request for Proposals now open - Capital Investment for Emergency Shelter

Questions and Answers

CLOSED Request for Proposals - Rural Modular Housing development

The annual housing system performance reports are now available. Click here for more information.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Closed - Request for Proposals

CLOSED - Request for Proposals

Request for Proposals - CLOSED/AWARDED

CLOSED Request for Proposals - Hygiene Supports

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - CLOSED

Request for Proposals - Closed

The full Request for Proposals and application materials can be found here.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - CLOSED

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - CLOSED

Request for Information - CLOSED

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - CLOSED

CLOSED - Request for Proposals

CLOSED -Request for Information

CLOSED -Request for Proposals

Housing Stakeholder Coalition

Progress

March 20, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Questions and answers

What is the current situation?

What are syringe services programs?

How long have syringe services existed in Grays Harbor County? Are there other syringe services programs in Washington State?

Are syringe services programs legal?

Why do syringe services programs make public health sense?

Are there other ways that people can get new, sterile syringes?

Do syringe services programs increase syringe litter? What should I do if I find a syringe?

Other Information

HIV

Hepatitis C

Fentanyl

March 02, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

We are glad you are here.

IT’S OK TO NOT BE OK

HELP IS HERE 24/7, 365 DAYS A YEAR

Call or text 988, or live chat at 988lifeline.org

The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

GET MORE INFORMATION ON 988 SERVICES AT https://988lifeline.org/

Additional resources

Other help

Build your skills in preventing suicide

Get trained in QPR - Question, Persuade, Refer.

FREE individual and corporate training is available, sponsored by CHOICE Regional Health Network - click here for information and upcoming class dates or call 360-754-7629 to register.

Learn the 5 steps to help someone in crisis.

Send a caring message.

Be non-judmental.

Show them that you believe in them.

Be yourself, and no one else.

Learn how to talk about suicide in a compassionate and accurate way.

February 14, 2020Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department

Why was Grays Harbor County selected as an Overdose Prevention Project site?

Does providing naloxone make people more likely to use drugs?

What is naloxone?

What is the purpose of naloxone distribution?

Who can legally possess naloxone?