West Seattle nonprofit Transitional Resources celebrates half a century

By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

“A lot has changed over 50 years, but what hasn’t changed is our commitment to showing up for people during the hardest moments of their lives,” said Transitional Resources board president Ken Bailey as the nonprofit celebrated its first half-century Thursday evening..

Transitional Resources is a West Seattle based non-profit blending housing and behavioral health services, has been around since 1976, and gathered supporters at Georgetown Stables to celebrate and donate.

Centered just south of the Luna Park district, Transitional Resources has developed unique programs to aid clients in various stages of their journeys. Among these is TRY House, a 15-bed program and assisted living facility in West Seattle. This specific program is catered toward adults with higher support needs. The organization also offers a supportive housing program, allowing residents to live independently in community-integrated homes close to Transitional Housing’s treatment teams and services.

Bailey explained to attendees how Transitional Resources came about decades ago, with a brief story about Sister Elaine Smith. She saw a gap in the resources available to fit her sister’s ongoing needs. This led to a space created for young adults experiencing mental illness to live and receive continued support, with the end goal of transitioning back into the community:

“What we’re celebrating is the outcome that the model has helped to achieve. We celebrate the first move, after years of cycling through crisis services, finally walking into their very own apartment and feeling like they could breathe again.”

Bailey urged the audience to “stay engaged,” as while Transitional Resources is celebrating its undeniable impact on those in need, that this need is not going to go away. “Please help us keep these stories going,” he said.

Transitional Resources is going through a transitional period of their own right now, with the announcement in January of longtime CEO Darcell Slovek-Walker’s retirement effective June 30th.

Slovek-Walker has worked in the behavioral-health realm for 40 years, serving as Transitional Resource’s CEO for the last 22. A post on the organization’s blog expressed immense gratitude for the heart that she put into her work, the organization, and the community.

“She has ensured a safe space for clients to live with respect and dignity, has cared for the wellbeing of the staff, and has been an advocate for behavioral health support and housing throughout King County,” Bailey wrote in the post.

Transitional Resources has not yet announced a successor for its departing CEO.

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