A South Seattle behavioral-health clinic says Seattle still owes it roughly $65,000 for counseling and wraparound care provided to people affected by gun violence. The dispute puts a very local question on the table: what happens when a small provider is expected to keep showing up before city paperwork catches up?
Dr. Jacqualine Boles, owner and clinical director of Redeemed Wellness Center, confronted Mayor Katie Wilson during a Tuesday news conference, saying the center had continued its work even as invoices went unpaid. According to KOMO News, the clinic agreed to take 45 referrals under an April-to-December contract, including support for gunshot victims and their families.
Redeemed Wellness Center Says The Work Has Continued
Redeemed Wellness Center describes itself as a licensed, community-based clinic offering trauma recovery, behavioral-health counseling, family support and other integrated services, according to the center’s public site. Its model combines clinical care with longer-term support intended to help clients move beyond the immediate aftermath of violence.
Boles told KOMO News that the unpaid amount covers two months of work and that staff have been paid from the organization’s reserves. The clinic has also received referrals connected to the Bite of Seattle shooting, adding urgency to a payment fight that Boles says cannot continue indefinitely.
City Says Invoices Need More Documentation
Seattle’s Human Services Department said two invoices are under review because they require additional supporting documentation and because compliance issues were identified during processing. In the statement reported by KOMO News, the department said it values community partners serving residents affected by gun violence and is working with the clinic to resolve the outstanding issues while meeting public-funds requirements.
The payment dispute is unfolding within a larger city effort to fund community-based violence prevention. In March, the Seattle Human Services Department announced $14.7 million for community-led strategies, with Redeemed Wellness Center listed among the providers selected for hospital-based intervention services.
A separate city-county overhaul announced this month also put provider payments under a brighter spotlight. The Seattle mayor’s office said an independent financial monitoring firm would help improve invoicing and support timely payments to service providers in the homelessness system, a different contracting structure but a familiar administrative headache.
For now, the city says Redeemed’s invoices remain under review, while Boles says the clinic is continuing to serve people who need help after shootings. The next test will be whether Seattle can resolve the paperwork without leaving a small trauma-care provider to bankroll a public program out of pocket.
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