Closure of the Mindfulness Program
11.8.23
Dear OBCC families, caregivers, and community members:
I’m writing to share some unfortunate news. Due to changes in funding priorities, we are no longer able to offer our Mindfulness and Compassion Program at Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC).
In 2017, a few parents, OBCC team members and partners from the Arc of King County worked together to create the Mindfulness and Compassion Program.
Mindfulness is paying attention to what is happening in the moment in our minds, hearts, and bodies without judgment, and holding this awareness with kindness and curiosity. Research has shown that practicing mindfulness helps us become more attuned to ourselves and others. It also helps us improve our own sense of well-being.
The mission of the program was to share community-led mindfulness and compassion practices to promote the well-being of families and communities who are marginalized while building collective capacity to promote social justice.
In its nearly 6 years, we’ve served more than 300 families, including many families who use a language other than English. This was an especially important program at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a much-needed way for families to connect in a virtual format.
Due to increases in costs to run OBCC, we had to make the difficult decision to end the program. We will prioritize funding the expansion of our mental and behavioral health services and the opening of our new OBCC Central District location.
We continue to believe that mindfulness is an important approach to addressing many health-related needs. We will continue to recommend community-based mindfulness programs to the families we serve. Please join our last few drop-in sessions through the month of December. Learn more on our Mindfulness and Compassion Program page.
Thank you for your support over the years. We are grateful to the families who shared their journeys with us and with other families, and to the community partners that made this program possible. We wish you and your loved ones all the best.
Sincerely,
Shaquita Bell, MD
Senior Medical Director
Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic