SEATTLE — This year, SOUND Behavioral Health celebrates a remarkable milestone: 60 years of serving the people of King County with transformative mental health care, while standing with the community through times of profound change, challenge and hope.
SOUND's story began with visionary leadership. Former Washington Governor Booth Gardner, along with civic leaders Artie Buerk and Dick Sprague, believed that every person – regardless of circumstance – deserves access to compassionate, high-quality behavioral health care. That belief became a promise. And that promise became SOUND.
Over the past 60 years, SOUND has grown from a small nonprofit into one of the region’s largest behavioral health providers, supporting more than 15,000 individuals and families each year. The organization has weathered policy shifts at the state and federal levels, evolving funding models and changing treatment approaches – remaining a stable, community-based provider throughout.
Six decades is also a testament to the people behind the mission. Clinicians, case managers, peer specialists, SOUND’s leadership team and volunteers have shown up every day in support of others — strengthening families, improving public health, addressing homelessness and helping build safer communities.
As SOUND reflects on its legacy, it is equally focused on the future.
“The next 60 years will be shaped by the choices we make today,” said Katrina Egner, President & CEO of SOUND Behavioral Health. “Our community has relied on us for decades. We are committed to continuing to lead with courage and stewardship — expanding access, strengthening partnerships and ensuring that the ‘Orange Door’ to hope and healing remains within reach for every person who needs it.”
Behavioral health needs across King County continue to grow, and the demand for accessible, community-based care has never been greater. SOUND's 60th anniversary serves not only as a time to reflect, but as a platform to articulate a bold vision for the next generation of hope, healing and recovery.
That vision is already in motion. SOUND continues to advance innovative, community-based models of care — including integrated, whole-person approaches aligned with the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) framework. At the same time, SOUND’s Mobile Rapid Response Crisis Team (MRRCT) is helping to redefine how communities respond to behavioral health crises, providing on-the-ground support that reduces reliance on law enforcement and emergency rooms while connecting individuals to ongoing care.
“For us, this moment is about imagining what’s possible,” said Egner. “Behavioral health care is evolving, and so are we — continually finding new ways to meet people where they are and build a system that truly works for everyone in our community.”
Throughout 2026, SOUND will commemorate its 60th anniversary with a series of community-focused events and activations designed to celebrate its history and engage the broader King County community. These include the organization’s Swing for Hope Golf Tournament and the Sound of Hope Gala on November 14 at Fremont Studios, with additional announcements to come in the months ahead.
For more information about SOUND’s 60th anniversary and upcoming events, visit sound.health/60th-anniversary
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For more than 20 years, SOUND's Middle School Support Program (MSSP) has helped connect middle school students with behavioral health support where they need it most. The program is one part of SOUND's broader continuum of school-based behavioral health services, which bring care directly to students across King County. Since the program's inception, the Nesholm Family Foundation has helped sustain the MSSP through two decades of dedicated support, allowing students to access care in the place they spend much of their day: school.
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From expanding access to behavioral health services and crisis response programs to strengthening partnerships across King County, this report reflects the collective efforts of our staff, clinicians, donors, volunteers and community partners.
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As SOUND marks 60 years of service to the community, we sat down with Board Chair Roger Dowdy to reflect on the organization’s legacy, its role today, and the opportunities ahead.
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