1. Spring Issue 2011
Service
Anniversaries
Month Years
January
Dennis Grove 12
Lee Grogg 10
John Mueller 8
Robin Bennett 3
Vincent Leung 2
Dayna Sheldon 2
Ethan McCooper 1
Servando Patlan 1
Heather Perry 1
February
Lia Gistarb 5
Abigail Kulkin 1
Erica Lehman 1
March
Gordy Comer 36
Greg Smith 32
Johnny Ohta 10
Lisa Evans 8
Heidi Pacher 6
Emilie Reed 4
Jennifer Gates 2
Frederick Hill 1
Moving Up
Making Connections with Experiential Therapy
ment. When Michael leaves Ryther
there will be new challenges, but through
climbing experiences here, Michael is
learning to not give up and to
keep reaching for his goals.
Children often have a difficult
time putting their feelings into
words. Experiential therapy
offers a way to work through
challenges and make connec-
tions without words. On the
wall, children have to cope with
not getting their desired result
right away. If a child does not
reach his or her goal on the
wall, they are still learning to
identify frustrations and deal
with not succeeding the first time around.
The ability to identify emotions, react
appropriately, and keep trying are skills
the wall can teach children for use in
every aspect of their lives. The children
succeed not when they reach the top, but
when they decide to keep moving up.
*Name has been changed.
The Ryther climbing wall provides a
chance for children to exercise, achieve a
goal, and have fun. Fun, however, is not
the most important purpose of
a Ryther climb.
Michael* is one of the chil-
dren in Sub-Acute Care who is
working with an experiential
lead on the climbing wall. His
very first climb scared him,
and he was not able to get
very far, but he’s made pro-
gress each time. Michael kept
at it until eventually he was
able to reach the top. “It was
so scary, I had trouble reach-
ing, and I kept telling myself I
could do it. It made me feel proud.”
Michael’s treatment goals are to learn
how to calm himself and handle the an-
swer “no.” Michael says he’s now better
able to handle situations in which peers
are instigating him. His case manager
helps him draw connections between
challenges on the wall and challenges he
faces in moving into permanent place-
Staff Spotlight: Jennifer Kunitsugu
Accounts Payable Purchasing Specialist
Jennifer Kunitsugu was born in the Bay
Area of California but grew
up in Seattle. She’s moved
away more than once for
school or work, but has kept
making her way back to the
Emerald City, and to Ryther.
Jennifer Kunitsugu may
be new to accounting, but
her cheerful attitude and tire-
less smile are familiar to Ryther. Jen
originally joined the Ryther team in 2003
as the CD Admissions Coordinator. After
earning her Bachelor’s Degree in psy-
chology in 1999, Jen taught English in
Japan to junior high children. She then
moved back to the Seattle area and
found the CD Admissions Coordinator
opening. Jen admits that at first she did
not realize that CD stood for chemical
dependency, but the position interested
her, and she was excited
about Ryther’s purpose and
vision. Jen worked as the CD
Admissions Coordinator until
2006 when she moved to Port-
land.
In Portland, Jen worked
in a graduate professional psy-
chology program where she
gained experience that would
eventually help her land her next Ryther
position. Jen’s boyfriend became her
fiancé, and they returned to Seattle. Be-
cause she still had friends and fond
memories at Ryther, Jen checked into
available positions and was hired as Ry-
ther’s Front Desk Receptionist in Novem-
ber 2010.
Jen had never done anything in ac-
counting before, but when the Accounts
continued on page 2
You may have noticed
that our name and logo
have changed recently.
The words “Child Cen-
ter” are gone as Ryther
is so much more than a
single place. Added is
a tag line: “Healthy
Children. Stronger
Families.” This de-
scribes who we are and
our purpose as an or-
ganization, and cap-
tures the heart of what
Mother Ryther cared
about from the begin-
ning.
Insider

2. A discussion recently about what
Ryther “is” reminded me of the parable
of the seven blind men describing an
elephant using their impressions
gained from touching various parts of
the animal. All organizations produce
the same diversity of descriptions
depending on the perception of the
viewer. To many hundreds of families
and children, Ryther is an outpatient
office where psychotherapy is
performed. To other families, Ryther is
the social worker who comes to their
home to help them develop more
effective parenting skills. Whether as
foster care provider, or a purchaser of
insurance, or as a donor, the meaning
of Ryther will be different depending on
your point of view. If there is one
definition that does capture the
essence of Ryther, it most certainly
has changed radically from 1885 to
1935 to 1955 and is continuing to
change. This begs the question of what
will Ryther be in the future?
Ryther is like every other kind of
charitable enterprise; the future is not
guaranteed. It is up to us to determine
what Ryther must do and how it must
change to survive so that there will
always be a Ryther to help abused
and neglected children. The current
transformation of Washington’s
Child Welfare system is a stark
reminder that the world in which
Ryther has existed has changed
radically and is changing at an ever
increasing pace.
Describing Ryther in physical
terms in the future simply won’t be
adequate. Ryther must move from
being a ‘place’ to being an idea or
set of ideas that can remain
relevant and meaningful in the
changing world. Ryther’s identity
should incorporate at the very least
compassion, kindness, up to date
competence, integrity, flexibility and
leadership. For Ryther to be
considered only a place is like
saying correspondence is a letter
with a postage stamp. Healthy
children and stronger families will
always be the point of what we do,
but we must begin to understand
that the opportunities as to how and
where we serve them are unlimited.
Lee’s News
By Lee Grogg
Dave Whitman is Ryther’s newest
board member and is the CEO of
Whitman Global Carpet and Floor
Care in Woodinville. Dave makes
giving back to the community a prior-
ity in his own life and in the way he
runs his business.
How did you first become involved
with Ryther?
I started out with BOMA (Building
Owners and Managers Association)
around five years ago. Eventually our
company took a separate Saturday
and sent our crews out to clean the
carpets in the buildings as a donation.
Now once a year we clean the floors
in all the cottages, administration
buildings, and wherever Ryther needs
us. The first time we came out I had
lunch with Lee and the kids in one of
the cottages, and got to speak to
some of them. I remember one little
boy especially. Lee told me he was a
“frequent flyer” and apparently often
got into trouble. He was the neatest
little kid—you just wanted to bundle
him up and take him home.
Tell me about deciding to join the
Ryther board of trustees.
In the past I’ve chosen to stay
away from involvement like this be-
cause I put all my energy into my
company and my children. Now my
kids are out of college and married,
and I have more time to do things like
this. Lee asked me a few times to be
on the board. He first “dropped the
bug” about two years ago. I met with
Dave Herr, Board Chair, last year and
said I wanted to go to Ryther’s annual
luncheon before I made my decision.
When I saw the people involved, I
thought I could give more to Ryther.
Seeing the speakers, the kids, and
how involved the community was con-
vinced me.
I like to tell the story about when
we were at Ryther cleaning and a
young girl came in while we were
working. She had just come back
from the hair salon and had her hair
all styled. She was wearing a dress
and was so excited because she was
going to Chicago to live with her
adoptive parents. It really gave our
guys a boost to see her and hear
about that.
Staff Spotlight continued
Volunteer Spotlight:
David Whitman
Payable position became available the job sounded fun, and she thought,
“Why not?” She feels fortunate to have been hired in Accounting, and has
been there since January 24, 2011.
As the Accounts Payable Purchasing Specialist, Jen is responsible for pur-
chasing supplies for the agency and the cottages, paying bills when they come
in, and, of course, there’s plenty of coding, reviewing invoices, balancing, and
general number crunching. There’s a lot to learn in the position, and a lot of
attention to detail is needed as an error could have serious repercussions for
the agency’s accounts. Jen most enjoys filling big orders because that’s where
she can get thrifty and stretch the Ryther dollars.
Work in accounting has a cyclical nature—the week arcs as it begins with
coding and entering, then mid-week checks are being printed, signed, and dis-
tributed, and things finish up with filing, filling supply orders, and catch-up
work. Jen reports the biggest challenge in the position so far is simply learning
her responsibilities. “It was all very daunting at first. There were so many dif-
ferent accounts—where does this come from, and where does this go, and
who do I charge for this?” She gives the credit for learning her job to having
great coworkers who have patiently walked her through everything.
Jen insists her work is more than just crunching numbers. It’s important to
her that she works for a place like Ryther. “I know that’s why all of us work at
Ryther—even down to administration and accounting—there’s still something
behind that.”
When not at work Jen loves being outdoors: hiking in the summer and
snowshoeing in the winter. One of her recent endeavors is to attempt to learn
to play the mandolin. Oh, and wedding planning happens in between all that.
Jen ties the knot on May 14.

3. After seeing Ryther’s need for organi-
zation, California Closets donated
their time and materials to install a
new shelving unit to organize clothing
donations. The “California Clothing
Closet” now looks 100% better!
On January 28, David Griffiths of
Washington Youth Soccer came
to host Ryther’s first “Soccer
Day”. The kids learned new skills
and had a great time. A huge
thank-you to David!
A heartfelt “Thank You” goes out to all of our recent Community Partners who contributed their time, talent & treasure.
THANK YOU COMMUNITY PARTNERS!
The Ryther League supports the children at Ryther in incredibly creative ways, and they’re always up to something new!
In a League of Their Own...
On February 13, DeeDee
Reisenauer of the Off-Campus unit
organized stylists from Supercuts
and Gene Juarez to generously
donate their time and skill to host
the “R-Salon.” Looking good!
January + Bingo = Binguary!
The League’s Sunrise Unit came
to Ryther on January 30 to host
bingo for all four cottages—
complete with home-baked cook-
ies and prizes! The kids had a
great time trying their luck.
League member Marillyn Largy
collects children’s birthday cake
wishes each month and forwards
those to different League units.
Cakes are ordered according to
the birthday kid’s wishes, and they
always look amazing!
Council on Accreditation Visits Ryther:
Interview with Heather Halverson, Director of Operations
What is COA?
Council on Accreditation (COA) is an international
accrediting body. They have established a set of per-
formance and service standards that are meant to ensure
that the agencies they accredit are providing best prac-
tices—that they’re the “cream of the crop” both in admin-
istrative responsibilities and in the services they provide
to their clients.
What kind of organizations do they accredit?
COA accredits human services organizations, espe-
cially those specific to children and families. COA ac-
creditation is a seal of approval that says that an organi-
zation is meeting COA’s high standards.
What are the major things COA is interested in?
They address client safety, the safety of the buildings
and grounds, and if client treatment is ethical and com-
plete. The standards are designed to ensure the kids
and families are having their health and safety needs
met.
How did we prepare for the accreditation process?
The first part in the accrediting process is putting to-
gether the self-study which is all the documentary evi-
dence of our practices. This takes about a year of look-
ing at our policies and procedures and ensuring they
meet the accreditation standards and that we are practic-
ing them. There’s a lot of time and effort that goes in
from directors, service providers, and direct care staff to
ensure our policies meet COA requirements. Karen
Brady made sure everyone knew what they needed to do
for the self-study.
The second part is preparing for the site visit. A
month or two was spent preparing and talking to staff
about what kinds of things COA was going to look at.
What did the interviewers do when they came?
The interviewers crammed a lot into their three and a
half days. Their first day they looked at client charts and
HR files, toured the campus, and met with senior man-
agement. In the following days they met with clients and
families, outpatient therapists, a family from FPS, and
foster kids and foster parents to talk about the services
we provide. They met representatives from across the
agency. They’d seen the paperwork from the self-study,
and they wanted to talk to real staff and clients about the
work that we do.
What were the results of the COA process?
We will receive a final response on our accreditation
from COA in late April or early May. The outlook on our
accreditation looks extremely positive, which is wonder-
ful, but not at all surprising. One of the main points that
our reviewers made, and one of the main things that I
think we know, is that we do amazing work here. The
reviewers noted Ryther’s excellence again and again.
Their praise was additional evidence to what we knew
already.

4. Program and Administration Notes
Cottage A
Lisa King
Program Supervisor
Cottage A has been busy! We’ve recently
received new office furniture and new chairs
for the TV area. Both look great and are very
appreciated! We would like to thank the Ry-
ther League for Binguary and all their contri-
butions which have allowed us to get out and
have fun over mid-winter break.
Currently we are restarting our CBT-
informed groups to teach our clients day-to-
day life skills as well as how to communicate
their needs non-aggressively. As a team, we
have put a lot of time and thought into making
these groups both educational and fun.
Rachel Read, our Lead Counselor for
over two years, stepped down from the posi-
tion. Her dedication and leadership have con-
tributed to our strong team dynamic. We wel-
come Diana Cruz as our new Lead Counselor.
We are also excited that Jenn Wissner will join
us as a Residential Counselor.
Cottage B
Marie MacCoy
Program Supervisor
The Chill Program is finishing up and the
boys who attended had a great time! We even
had a client ask to stay in treatment longer so
he could finish the Chill Program!
Kelliegh Sigurdson was promoted to the
Assistant Supervisor position at Cottage B
after two years of working on the milieu (she
just earned her CDP)! Please help us congratu-
late her. We are looking forward to spring and
increasing outdoor activities again.
Cottage C
Megan O’Laughlin
Program Supervisor
There have been quite a few birthdays
lately in Cottage C! We’re thankful for the
creative cakes and for the presents we are able
to give the kids. We have so much fun cele-
brating birthdays! (I think it’s safe to say the
kids have the most fun).
The kids have kept busy this winter with
cooking projects, crafting and activities like
the soccer camp and Muckleshoot Drumming
Group. Soon we’ll spend time in the garden
and doing other fun things outside. We’re
thankful for the volunteers who have shared so
many awesome things with the kids— espe-
cially for the best buddies and for the recent
upgrades to our clothing closet.
We recently said goodbye to some great
team members. Serina Holmstrom, our Assis-
tant Supervisor, stepped down to an on-call
position. Stacy Rinaldi has stepped up to take
her place! Anu Orebiyi recently left her posi-
tion as Case Manager and we welcome Erica
Giegler in her place. Finally, we welcome a
new Residential Counselor, Truitt Grant.
Cottage D
Jeanette Borunda
Program Supervisor
Cottage D kids really enjoyed mid-winter
break. They went on outings to the mall, mov-
ies, and museums. At the end of the week was
the Cottage D Talent Show which featured sing-
ing, dancing, and lip-synching. We had 100%
participation from the kids with Carlo as the
emcee. Carlo provided speakers, microphones,
and an electronic audio system for the show.
Our Best Buddies and volunteers have
made a huge impact in our cottage. They’ve
really been thinking outside of the box and
bringing in games, ingredients to cook deserts,
and music. The kids have been really excited
about their visits. Cottage D will be adding
three new staff soon as we say farewell to Kate-
lyn Goodwin, Daniel Frueh, and Courtney
Wick, all of whom will be joining the On-Call
Team.
Aspiring Youth/Collaborative Coaching
Ben Wahl
Program Director
It has been a busy winter for our programs.
We ran a winter break camp and a President’s
Week camp. Our main winter groups are cruis-
ing along with over 80 participants in the vari-
ous groups. We are also running groups in
Northshore School District and Lake Washing-
ton School District. Although it is only March,
we are gearing up for summer camp. New staff
members include Sara Torelli, MSW and Solo-
mon Davis, BA.
Therapeutic Family Care
Heather Perry
TFC Licensor
In February, TFC held its first monthly
foster parent info session which is part of a new
recruitment strategy. The info sessions are for
anyone who is interested in becoming a foster
parent and wants to learn more. They’re on the
main campus on the first Monday of each
month from 6-7pm. If you know anyone who is
interested in becoming a therapeutic foster par-
ent, please invite them!
We are also pleased to share an update on
the success of our specialized foster home for
pregnant teens. Recently two teens and their
babies transitioned out of Willa Blacknall’s
home into their own apartments. Both of the
girls celebrated the birth of their babies and
their own 18th birthdays while in Willa’s care.
Willa has done a fantastic job transitioning the
girls in her care into adulthood.
Mental Health Outpatient Services
Karen Brady
Chief of Clinical Services
The recent restructuring of Ryther and
having to say goodbye to Kathy Connelly had a
significant and direct impact on the Outpatient
Mental Health team. In spite of the sudden
change, the team continues to provide high
quality services to children, youth and their
families through individual, group, and family
therapy and case management. The team con-
tinues to be passionate about their work and
ability to serve families with very high needs
whether it is through the community mental
health system, the out-patient substance abuse
counseling program, or the Ryther Adolescent
Program for dual diagnosed youth. We also
said goodbye to Holly Campbell who left the
agency to pursue other interests. With Holly’s
departure, MHOP has welcomed Sue Prescott to
the team.
Human Resources
Heather Halverson
Human Resources Manager
It’s been a busy season for Katy as she
invited seven new on-call counselors to the
team. Please welcome Amanda Cappelletti,
Halen Earle, Jeffrey Grant, Sam Harkness,
Joleen Johanson, Alisha Klaassen and Claire
Sherman! Katy’s not the only one hiring—Beth
has active postings out for Residential Counsel-
ors, Overnight Childcare Worker, Assistant
Program Supervisor, and Program Assistants
for the Aspiring Youth program..
A revised training calendar should be com-
ing out soon with a newly scheduled TCI train-
ing offered and the new two-day New Em-
ployee Training. Contact Katy, Beth or me to
schedule your trainings.
Development
Katie Taylor
Development Associate
The Taproot grant for our new logo and
name is almost complete and our new look will
debut soon. We are now soliciting sponsors for
the November 10 luncheon featuring keynote
speaker John Stanton of Clearwire. Theme is:
Connect for Kids! Volunteer Appreciation
Night was a success thanks to cottage supervi-
sion and staff, the kids and WPIG who planned
the fun crafts. Thank you all for the thank-you
cards—we always get great feedback from do-
nors. You help them feel appreciated! Spring
means volunteer days, and the first big day
comes on April 13 and will bring new com-
puters, desks and more to the cottages.
Group Care Enhancement
Karen Brady
Chief of Clinical Services
With the recent restructuring of Ryther and
losing Erin Lynch as the Director of Chemical
Dependency Treatment, Johnny Ohta and Gary
Hothi have stepped up to provide CD supervi-
sion to the CDPTs involved in the CD boys’
program. Their flexibility, willingness to step
up, and enthusiastic support for their colleagues
are greatly appreciated.
Family Preservation Services
Karen Brady
Chief of Clinical Services
Given a steady decline in referrals and the
anticipation of contracting changes with Chil-
dren’s Administration, the decision was made to
end Family Preservation Services. This has
been a well respected program within Chil-
dren’s Administration and the therapists are
often requested by name. I would like to extend
my appreciation to the therapists involved in the
program: Michelle Beebe, Sue Prescott, Jen
Gates, and Lisa Tarrach. They have been and
are dedicated, skilled individuals who made a
difference in the lives of families struggling
with significant challenges and obstacles.
The Insider is published quarterly. Please contact Katie Taylor with any story ideas at katiet@ryther.org.