Building blocks for health

Healthy eating, active living

To improve health across our region, we invest in our communities. Our strategy includes providing these critical building blocks of health:

• Access to healthy food and environments that make it easy to be physically active
• Economic security and educational opportunities
• Support for depression and mental health

Safe ways to get physically active

As part of our commitment to healthy communities we’re working with residents and community organizations to create safe places to play and exercise. Much of this happens through the development and enhancements of parks, trails, and open spaces.

• Park Improvements create safe and easy options for healthy living
• The Eastside Rail Corridor is a 20-mile biking and walking regional trail in east King County
• The Sky to Sound water trail provides healthy outdoor experiences in Snohomish County
• The Major Taylor Project is Cascade Bicycle Club’s school-based youth development program
• Events & Classes help develop better health and build community connections

Discover more

Thriving schools

Improving health in schools is one of the best ways to support our communities. Research shows that improving the health of everyone in the school community also creates better education outcomes for kids. That’s why we’re committed to Thriving Schools, a broad national health effort for K-12 schools.

• Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Program inspires kids to make healthy choices
• School clinics offer students support for health issues in a safe environment
• Buddy Benches give kids a safe place to help each other
• The Alliance for Healthier Generations helps schools create healthy environments and reduce childhood obesity

Explore school resources

Mental health support

Now, more than ever, there’s a critical lack of mental health support for people in communities across Washington state. We focus on depression, suicide prevention, and addressing stigma related to mental health issues.

How we help
We offer support for school-based mental health programs. We also team up with other dedicated organizations to build a culture of mental health in our communities. Offering free continued education for health providers increases the availability of skilled practitioners to under-resourced communities. In addition, we are among the many supporters in the Alliance for South Sound Health, helping create a Pierce County inpatient mental health facility. Collaborating with other organizations, including those listed below, we can help provide critical support.

• Suicide prevention Continuing Medical Education (CME) course is a free, online training for our providers and community colleagues
• TeenLink provides a safe place for kids to talk with other kids about problems they face
• King County Sexual Assault Resource Center offers trauma-specific mental health services to survivors of sexual assault, and education to prevent sexual assault
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) WA helps those affected by mental illness
• Seattle Counseling Service promotes health and wellness within the LGBTQ community
• Alliance for South Sound Behavioral Health helps close the gap for inpatient care
• Stigma Campaign helps change negative beliefs about mental health and substance use

Learn more

Economic and educational opportunities

Building a strong foundation
Communities across the country need support to move out of poverty into financial stability. Along with access to health care, Kaiser Permanente is committed to building community wealth. Currently we offer scholarships and job readiness programs. We also work to harness our economic power as an anchor institution by investing in the communities where we are based.

Find out more

Back to top