Ten years ago, if you lived in South King County, getting to treatment could be one of the hardest parts of recovery.
For many people, daily medication meant a long daily commute. And for those navigating unstable housing and the demands of opioid use disorder, that commute was often one obstacle too many.
ETS’s South King County Clinic (SKCC) opened in Renton in 2016 to close that gap. The clinic brought life-saving care closer to where people lived, making it easier to take that first step, and every step that followed.
Building a new clinic also gave the team a rare chance to rethink how treatment could be delivered, strengthen how disciplines worked together, and build a place centered on dignity, respect, and participant success from day one. The staff who were there at the start still remember the energy of it.
“There was something incredibly exciting about building something new from the ground up,” said Sean Soth, VP of Clinic Services. “We could create new workflows, solve problems in real time, and help shape what the clinic would become.”
Annie McCall, who has spent 16 years at ETS and all 10 of SKCC’s years at the Renton clinic, remembers the smallest details.
“I remember working side by side with Cathy, the clinic manager of SKCC when it opened, putting staff desks and chairs together,” she said. “I knew this was going to be a special place to work.”
Her verdict hasn’t changed: “10 years later it’s still a special place to work. Needless to say, I love my job.”
What SKCC has meant to South King County
Over the past decade, SKCC has become an essential resource for families across the region.
Thousands of people have received treatment and support through the clinic in Renton, and its care has strengthened families, improved health, and helped build more stable communities. The clinic has also become a genuine community partner, advocating for participants and connecting people to resources far beyond the clinic walls.
It has done this by continuing to evolve—expanding services, adapting its care models, and deepening partnerships to meet the community where it is. That adaptability was tested in 2024, when flooding forced the temporary closure of ETS’s Seattle Clinic. SKCC stepped up immediately, absorbing a substantial number of additional participants and coordinating transportation so that no one lost access to their medication during a critical stretch. It was a demonstration of operational resilience, and of a staff who worked tirelessly to make sure people kept getting the care they depended on.
What we wish more people understood
Ten years of this work in a community leaves staff with a clear sense of who walks through the door.
“Folks struggling with opioid use disorder are here because they want the help,” Monica Harris, social services supervisor said. “Not because they have to be, but because they desire to change their lives.”
That belief shapes everything. Staff recognize and celebrate progress at every scale, from arriving for dosing as scheduled to reaching a long-held goal. Every level of success, small or large, is worth recognizing. Monica continues, “we are addressing the disease of addiction, not diseased people. We love and support our participants and most of the time, they just need to know that someone cares. That is the heart of ETS.”
That care is often quiet, but its effects are not. Francisco Barrera, who has spent years witnessing it up close, describes a shift in how he sees the people he serves.
“Opioid use disorder is a forward-facing condition,” he said. “Our participants are met by it every waking moment.” It meets them at job applications and rental screenings, in emergency rooms and at family gatherings.
Over time, Francisco says, his sorrow gave way to something else. “That sympathy has matured to a more appropriate response: admiration. There is a bravery, a fortitude our patients have that is nothing short of miraculous.” Facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles moment by moment, they endure. “Inspiration abounds at our clinics,” he said. “I’m honored and privileged to witness it daily.”
The next ten years
Ask the people who built SKCC what they want for the decade ahead, and the answer is about going deeper. “Medication is just one part of recovery,” Sean says. The hope is for care that’s even more accessible, more integrated, and more person-centered. Care that connects people to primary care, behavioral health, peer support, case management, and community resources, and meets the whole person where they are.
There’s also a hope that SKCC keeps leading: bringing care into the community, embracing new tools, and finding better ways to remove the barriers that still stand between people and treatment. Above all, Sean says, “I hope that every person who walks through our doors feels welcomed, respected, and empowered to build the life they want.”
If SKCC can keep expanding access while never losing sight of the people it serves, the next ten years will be even more meaningful than the first.
To everyone who has been part of this clinic over the past decade, from the staff who built it, the partners who strengthened it, and, above all, the participants who trusted it, thank you. Here’s to the next ten years.
