DSHS Stories
Welcome to DSHS Stories!
Here you can read about the how DSHS and you are making a difference in our community. In addition to some truly compelling stories, you will also find periodic Messages from the Secretary at the bottom of this page. Thank you for stopping by!
Nursing is a calling for Western’s ‘bubbly’ Fatmata Thomas
May 11 2020
Fatmata Thomas was in high school when her life changed.
That is when her stepmother was diagnosed with leukemia. It’s also when Thomas knew what she would do with her life.
“The nurse who took care of her was so caring and so supportive,” said Thomas, a medical nurse consultant at Western State Hospital. “There ...read more
Above & Beyond: CSD’s Mike Knapp Mans the Door at Puyallup Valley CSO
May 06 2020
Everyone’s adjusting to an altered workday during the response to COVID-19.
For Mike Knapp, that’s meant finding a renewed appreciation for in-person customer service.
Knapp, a Social Services Supervisor, has been with DSHS for 25 years. He’s been a manager in the Puyallup Valley Community Services Office for 14 years, currently working with a team of seven social workers.
When the vast majority of his office transitioned to teleworking, office administrator Hilliary ...read more
Nurses use hula hoops and hip-hop to keep CSTC fun during pandemic
May 06 2020
Keeping a semblance of normalcy when life is anything but routine is a challenge. But that is how Lauren Moore approaches every day she goes to work at the Child Study and Treatment Center.
A nurse at the psychiatric facility’s Ketron Cottage, Moore works with children between the ages of 11 and 15. The children have a ...read more
DVR’s IT Unit Pivots Statewide Staff to Teleworking Model in Lightning Speed
May 06 2020
In March, when COVID-19 hit Washington state, the traditional work environment suddenly and irrevocably changed.
At the Department of Social and Health Services’ Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Information Technology Support Systems team took on the gargantuan task to ensure all staff the ability to telework.
“Setting up staff to telework involves purchasing and training on new equipment; configuring the new equipment; purchasing and setting up new cell phones, etc ...read more
Got masks? DSHS’ Economic Services Administration donates their surplus to agency institutions
May 01 2020
Medical facilities in Washington state and across the globe have been inundated while combating COVID-19, making personal protective equipment, or PPE, at a premium. Even the Department of Social and Health Services has felt the squeeze at its 24/7 facilities – state-run psychiatric hospitals and facilities for people with developmental ...read more