Going Beyond Care: A Joint Commitment to Our Children’s Future

At Community Health Center of Snohomish County (CHC) and Housing Hope, our shared mission is rooted in providing compassionate, equitable, and comprehensive care for children and families. While we are often unable to share individual stories due to the need to protect privacy, there are moments that reflect the power of partnership and innovation in ways that can inspire broader change.

This is one of those moments.

A Collaborative Approach to Care

Through our partnership at Tomorrow’s Hope, we aim to meet children and families where they are—both literally and emotionally. Traditionally, on-site clinical support focuses on addressing immediate medical needs such as illness and injury. However, our model continues to evolve to reflect a deeper understanding of whole-child development.

Over the past year, that evolution has been brought to life through an expanded approach to care by CHC’s new outreach provider, Nurse Practitioner Sarah Herrington, one that emphasizes relationship-building, observation, and early identification of developmental needs within the classroom environment. By spending meaningful time with children in their everyday setting, Sarah is able to better understand social-emotional development, communication patterns, and behavioral nuances that may not be visible during brief clinic visits.

Addressing Barriers to an Autism Diagnosis

Families in our community often face significant delays in accessing autism evaluations, with waitlists at major health systems commonly taking one to two years. A diagnosis plays a critical role in helping families understand their child’s unique experience and is often necessary to access specialized services, accommodations, and long-term support.

In this case, a family had been navigating developmental concerns since early childhood and while autism had been discussed with their primary care provider, a referral for evaluation had not been successfully placed, leaving the family without a clear pathway forward.

Innovation Through Partnership

Recognizing both the need and the opportunity to do more, CHC and Housing Hope worked together to rethink what was possible within the Tomorrow’s Hope setting. With support from CHC, Sarah completed the training and certification needed to conduct autism assessments, supporting Washington State’s efforts to increase access while recognizing the challenges of providing comprehensive evaluations in primary care settings.

The on-site model at Tomorrow’s Hope proved uniquely suited to this work. It allowed for:

• Observation of the child over time in a familiar, natural classroom environment

• Review and integration of developmental history and early intervention records

• Collaboration with teachers, therapists, and caregivers

• Direct, relationship-based engagement with both the child and family

This holistic approach resulted in the timely completion of a comprehensive autism assessment, something that would otherwise have taken significantly longer through traditional referral systems.

Advancing a Shared Vision

With a formal diagnosis in place, the child and family now have access to a broader network of supports. Coordination with the school system is already underway, with plans to implement appropriate services and accommodations in the upcoming school year. Equally important, the trusted relationships built through this model ensure that the family continues to receive guidance and support as they navigate what can often be a complex system of care.

This highlights what can be achieved when healthcare and community-based organizations work in close alignment. By combining CHC’s clinical expertise with Housing Hope’s deeply rooted, community-centered environment, we are able to reduce barriers, respond more quickly to family needs, and deliver care that is both comprehensive and compassionate.

Together, we remain committed to expanding innovative approaches that improve access, shorten timelines, and ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Sarah Herrington has a master’s in nursing (MSN) from Seattle University. She is also a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C). She believes in partnering with patients to reach their own goals for health and happiness and cares equally about patients' emotional, physical, and interpersonal health and try to consider each of these in every patient.