Community Service Spotlight
by Kimiyo Bowlby
In 2025, Compass Health celebrates its 123rd anniversary. What began as a community run orphanage has evolved over the past century into Northwest Washington’s behavioral healthcare leader. While it’s difficult to capture the essence of our organization in just a few words, one that stands out is partner.
We partner with clients — whether they’re experiencing a mental health crisis, looking for someone to talk to, or seeking support for housing or other essential needs. We are here for them. We also partner with other organizations and agencies throughout the counties we serve, ensuring that anyone who walks through our doors is connected to the care and resources they need to heal and thrive.
Our spectrum of care makes this possible. From adult and youth outpatient services to intensive care, crisis response, and community outreach, we’re proud to offer a range of supports — over 20 programs — to meet each client’s needs. We also provide care coordination when clients are enrolled in more than one service to ensure seamless integration of care. Our services are available in Whatcom, San Juan, Island, Skagit, and Snohomish counties across more than 20 locations.
But how exactly does that spectrum of care work, and what role does partnership play in its success? To answer those questions, let’s take a closer look at our Community Outreach and Recovery Support Team, also known as CORS, and how it fits into the broader framework of our care model and vision.
A Bridge to Care: CORS
For many, taking the first step toward accessing care and support can be the most difficult part. There are various barriers that prevent people from reaching someone who can help, including technology and financial challenges, housing instability, mental health struggles, or simply not knowing where to turn. CORS exists to break down those barriers, connecting individuals to services and supports that foster stability and well-being.
CORS was established following the closure of the Rainbow Recovery Center, building on the expertise of Joe Gibson, a clinician with more than 25 years of experience in the field. Joe, a pillar of the community, understood the vital role that a program like CORS played in filling the gaps in care and serving the community’s most vulnerable members.
Over the last eight years, CORS has become a lifeline. The team helps community members secure essential resources, like housing or food assistance, which is often the first step toward stability. For instance, in one morning, CORS helped eight community members get on the Bellingham Housing Authority wait list, setting them on the path toward stabling housing. From there, they continue to support clients and connect them to additional services, such as mental healthcare through Compass Health and food assistance through other resources like the Maple Alley Inn’s free, hot lunch program.
CORS is not just about providing immediate resources — it’s about offering compassionate, ongoing support. For one local family, that meant helping them avoid eviction by supporting them with the rental of a moving truck and finding them new housing. Another client was supported through having their student loans forgiven, and the team has also provided invaluable assistance to several individuals in court, helping them navigate their housing and case management needs.
The CORS team works to understand the complexities of each person’s situation and provide the guidance needed to help them navigate the system. Whether it’s a call to the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to receive benefits or addressing the personal challenges of a client, the team’s goal is to ensure no one is left behind. And this commitment doesn’t end with a single interaction — CORS offers continued support for as long as it’s needed, regardless of a client’s ability to pay or insurance status.
Last year, the CORS team managed over 90 referrals, many coming from local organizations and Compass Health’s internal teams, including the Crisis Triage & Stabilization Unit, housed at the Anne Deacon Center for Hope; outpatient services; and the Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT).
The Spectrum at Work
A seamless continuum — our spectrum of care ensures we can meet clients wherever they are. If someone is receiving outpatient therapy and is struggling with housing, the CORS team is there to help. If a client is admitted to the Crisis Triage & Stabilization Unit and needs support post discharge, they are referred to CORS for continued care.
Our flexible care model ensures seamless transitions for clients at every stage of their journey. And, as their needs evolve, we can help connect them to the appropriate supports.
Depending on their individual circumstances, those supports could include our:
- Adult Outpatient Program that provides counseling services to adults who are experiencing mental health issues. Services may include individual therapy, group therapy, medication management, as well as community support services.
- Adult Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) that serves individuals with severe and persistent behavioral health disorders who need frequent contact and outreach to accomplish their recovery goals and reside successfully in the community.
- Child, Youth and Family Outpatient Program that provides an array of counseling and support services to families with children and youth who may have emotional and/or behavioral challenges.
* This also includes a robust school-based program that consists of partnerships with 21 schools across Bellingham to connect students to mental health services. - Child, Youth, and Family Crisis Team (CYFCT) that responds to and provides crisis services to youth and their families.
- Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MOCT) that responds to and provides crisis intervention and stabilization services to adults.
- Crisis Triage & Stabilization Unit at the Anne Deacon Center for Hope, which is a short-stay facility for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
Powerful Partnerships
Amplifying our impact through collaboration — collaboration is one of Compass Health’s core values because we understand that no single organization can meet all our community’s needs. From local hospitals and treatment centers to first responders and other nonprofit organizations, our network of strong partnerships allows us to extend our reach and provide care that treats the whole person.
For example, through referrals and collaboration with local hospitals and first responders, we’re able to direct those struggling with behavioral health challenges toward appropriate services, such as mental health crisis care. Th is helps them avoid emergency department or jail stays, which can often worsen their condition.
The work done by our CORS team certainly would not be possible without this resource network. It’s what allows us to confidently tell people who come to us that no matter what they need, we can help.
And our school-based programs break down barriers that often prevent students from accessing care. Last year, our longtime partnership with Bellingham Public Schools led to Compass Health being chosen to serve as the mental health provider at the school district’s first-ever school-based clinic, located in Options High School. We are proud co-recipients of Bellingham Promise Award’s Community Partner of the Year (2024) award thanks in part to this innovative partnership.
Our Vision for the Future
At Compass Health, we believe every individual, every family, deserves access to the behavioral health care they need. Our vision remains clear: building a future with communities where everyone receives equitable support to heal and thrive.
We look forward to continuing to drive innovation, strengthen partnerships, and break down barriers to care. Through collaboration and a shared commitment, we can build a brighter future for all who call our region home.
If you’re interested in learning more or enrolling in our services, visit our website at compasshealth. org. You can also call our McLeod office at 360-676-2220.
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Kimiyo Bowlby serves as the program manager for Compass Health’s Adult Outpatient Program and Community Outreach and Recovery Support Team (CORS). Since joining Compass Health four years ago, she has held several roles, including therapist for the Wraparound Intensive Services (WISe) Program and interim manager for the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).
