Balanced You recognizes the resiliency and strength within the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. We also recognize that one’s background and identities can present unique experiences, specific barriers, and opportunities to accessing mental health support; BIPOC and underrepresented communities face additional barriers including structural racism, access to quality care, and cultural stigmas.
As a King County employee, you have access to comprehensive health care coverage, including mental health coverage. We have been working with our providers to reduce barriers to access. Most employees have medical plans through either Kaiser Permanente or Regence BlueShield, both of which offer racially and ethnically diverse mental health providers.
Kaiser Permanente (KP): In addition to KP’s internal and external network of mental health providers, KP has contracted with Two Chairs therapist network. Two Chairs network is racially and ethnically diverse, including:
- 45% of providers are BIPOC
- 25% speak multiple languages
- 90+ areas of clinical expertise
- Offers virtual and in-person visits (in-person in Seattle only)
To access mental health services start a free mental health chat by logging in, choose get care now, and select mental health services, or call KP’s Mental Health Access Center at 206-630-1680 for non-emergency first-time appointments. They will refer you to a provider who best meets your needs.
Regence members have access to a broad network of mental health therapists and services. The Regence provider directory includes languages spoken and race/ethnicity of providers. Please note that not all therapists have provided this information. In addition, Dr. on Demand has a diverse panel of mental health therapists who can take scheduled, repeat appointments. Nearly 50% of Dr. on Demand visits are with mental health therapists. You can access Dr. on Demand through their smartphone app or on your computer. For first-time appointments, have your Regence member ID card handy to register your account.
You can find a complete overview of mental health resources for King County employees tailored for different audiences in this Balanced You blog post.