FUSION (Friends United to Shelter the Indigent. Oppressed and Needy) awarded its contract for case management and support services to Valley Cities Counseling & Consultation (Valley Cities) on April 14 with services transferring on May 1.

FUSION recently merged with the Joseph Foundation and now serves 15 families in the Federal Way/Northeast Tacoma area.

“We are very pleased to be partnering with Valley Cities to help our families work toward self-sufficiency.” said Peggy LaPorte, FUSION Founder. “We chose Valley Cities because of the variety and depth of the services they have to offer, particularly their Peer Mentoring Program.”

Valley Cities has pioneered peer mentoring as an integral part of the delivery of quality behavioral health services, which has now become a standard and best practice in the industry.

Valley Cities’ staff hired, trained and coached the first paid peer specialists in the county. A certified peer specialist is someone who has “been there” and successfully managed the journey from homelessness to employed, self-sufficient contributor. Some peer specialists are survivors of domestic abuse, have faced severe depression and other mental health issues – learning how to manage, survive and thrive through these tough life challenges.

Valley Cities was established in 1965 by people in South King County, opened their Federal Way service site in 1993, and expanded services to the Federal Way community by merging Federal Way Youth and Family Services in 2002. The agency provides group and individual counseling to adults, children and families. Their clinicians provide outreach to the Federal Way Public Schools and feature specialized programs for families surviving domestic violence.

Acting on the reality that mental health crises are a major contributing factor to homelessness, Valley Cities began outreach to homeless families in 2002 and now provides case management services to over 125 families in South King County.

“Valley Cities and FUSION are natural partners, deeply rooted in this community and deeply devoted to helping people overcome obstacles in their lives and journey to recovery and independence.” says Pam Taylor, Valley Cities Development Director.

Valley Cities is a community behavioral health center serving low income individuals, families and veterans. Established by the people of South King County in 1965, today, they operate comprehensive outpatient clinics in Auburn, Federal Way, Kent and Renton.