SAN JUAN COUNTY DEMOGRAPHICS
San Juan County is comprised of multiple small islands in the northwest corner of Washington State. While there are over 125 named islands in the county, only four are served by the WA State Ferry System. With a growing number of wealthy retirees and the rapid expansion of local tourism over the past 15 years, the community’s economic drivers have shifted significantly toward a service/tourism model. While service industry jobs are plentiful in peak season times, the reality is that many are seasonal, low-paid and provide no medical insurance or paid time off. Wages do not keep pace with the local high cost of living; San Juan County ranks 37th out of 39 counties in the state with respect to living wage rates, and the disparity between hourly earnings and the high cost of living means that 36% of local working families with children live paycheck to paycheck with no ability to save money.
SEE OTHER COMMUNITIES WITH PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCES
SAN JUAN ISLAND (SJI) PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE
San Juan County is the recipient of the Perinatal Mental Health Initiative (PMHI) Grant. The funding began in July 2023 and will go thru June 2025. The PMHI is a partnership between local grant funded organizations, Perinatal Support Washington, and the funder Strengthening Families Washington, a program within the Department of Children, Youth & Families. The PMHI focuses on perinatal mental health capacity building for local communities aimed at increasing awareness of perinatal mental health disorders amongst providers and families, increasing perinatal mental health screening and appropriate referrals, and creating easy pathways for families to access the care they need. Currently, there are 11 funded communities in Washington state.
The San Juan Island Perinatal Mental Health Task Force is hosted by The Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center, (JSFRC). JSFRC It was established as a grassroots nonprofit in 1998 and has a long history of collaborative, family-centered support work with expectant and new families. The center started with an emphasis on early childhood and family support programs and over the years has grown to provide a comprehensive array of social service and wellness programs for islanders of all backgrounds. As a certified member of the National Family Support Network, JLSFRC takes strengths-based approach to partnering with families to support their self-identified needs and goals to be healthy, safe, and productive.
San Juan Island Perinatal Mental Health Task Force partners include the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center, San Juan Health & Community Services (which oversees county WIC and Maternal/Child Health support programs), Friday Harbor Family Clinic, Peace Health Peace Island Medical Center, STEPS (local ESIT provider for San Juan County), Planned Parenthood, San Juan Island Midwifery, local private practice mental health providers, and Promotoras who provide outreach to our Latinx community.
CURRENT GOALS FOR SAN JUAN ISLAND PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE INCLUDE:
GET INVOLVED
CONTACT: Ashley Strutz
San Juan Island Perinatal Mental Health Task Force
Meets Quarterly
MEETING DATES: Email for more info about meeting dates and times
UPCOMING SAN JUAN ISLAND SUPPORT GROUPS
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SAN JUAN ISLAND TRAININGS & EVENTS
If there are no local trainings listed at this time, please visit our Washington State Provider Trainings page.