Talk:Open Door Clinic
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I remember Jim, This is Steve Carpenter, there from about 1976-7 until '80 ... crisis phone worker and client advocate, flying squad member, shift supervisor and PA at the medical clinic downstairs. I was at UW Med School/Grad School and then in a computer business in the U district. Anyone know where Clive, Susan, Janie, John and others went off to? What was behind the closure? ... it must have happened just after I moved East. Interestingly I'm involved in another 'Free Clinic' project here in Maine... Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center (www.seedsofhope4ME.org).
Steve Carpenter Stcarpen 00:09, 15 July 2008 (UTC)stcarpen
Hi I worked at ODC from 1971-till the door finally closed.
Are there any others out there.
Jim Beardsley Now in Gold Bar WA
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[edit] ODC
I worked the phones in 72-73. I still have a copy of the clinic manual I got during training, believe it or not. Dann Huff now in Apache Junction, AZ.
[edit] ODC
The "Clinic" closed due to lack of funds, and just sort of a general lack of energy. Also the house we were in was purchased; and now that mini mall is where the clinic used to be. The day the door finally closed was one of the most sad of my life.
I hear that there are ocasional
reunions of former clinic folks, but have been out of the loop for a long time. Was sorta hoping maybe someone would see this. I heard that Cheryl Scott was the director of Group Health for a while, and I worked with Richard Brustowitz (sorry if I misspelled the name Richard) for a while in the 80s, and bumped into him from time to time working at the UW...I really miss those folks, they were sort of the family i never had...Still have some posters, and a pretty extensive photo collection of the inside of the building (the "over the moon" painting that was above the fireplace, and photos of the "shaking hands" stained glass window etc etc...
Jim Beardsley
I worked there in '77-78 on the phones and the flying squad. I was taking a year off from Brown. I still have the certificate I got after the training. The only person I remember is a girl who'd gone to Lakeside, Class of '75. ````Jessica W.
Hi Jim (and everyone else!) -- yes, you did misspell the name, but it's not like you get to practice it every day the way I do. It starts "Brz" and ends "icz". I might still be listed in the UW directory. Best wishes to you, and to all former ODC colleagues. ---RichardB
[edit] Open Door Clinic
I walked through the doors of the first Open Door as a runaway back in the Fall of '67. Lee Kirshner and many others were busting their collective butts to try and bridge the gaps between the established Medical Resources for Drug Intervention, Domestic Abuse, STDs and the street people and the Police. I was in and out of Seattle Volunteering when I could for the next few years but settled in Seattle and volunteered. I went to the phone worker training retreats got First AId and Advance First Aid Training and found a family of other volunteers. After the "big" Flying Squad Bust, (the intervention by only Advanced First Aid'ers at a "potentially" serious medical emergency). The Steering Committee elected to Build an Ambulance. I was involved in that endeavour. So were many others John Hatten, Barb Doty, Yona Makowski, "Marvelous Mrrx Marv Freeman, Jon Day and more. There are many folks that were in the ODC Family, Madeline Hoover, Roger Messner, Susan Swaggar (sp?) so many more. We all became EMT's and beyond. Collectively all those folks created a way to help anyone, no matter what the circumstances. Then there were the festivals like Sky River that Open Door stretched its resources to provide services at that and many more events. And after how many Demonstations did ODC bandage heads and Hearts? The Centerfor Addiction Services relied on ODC and how many folks relied on ODC for primary care and follow up in Medical, OB/GYN, Dental, Birth and Conselling. Open Door could not raise the amount of money to be active in the Reagan era. It is a shame. As you look at the Young Folks living in the Streets of your city... think of how it would change if there was still an Open Door Clinic.
[edit] Open Door Community Clinic
I was a volunteer at the woman's clinic, a part of the Open Door Community Clinic. After it closed, I continued as a volunteer at the new clinic which was called the Northend Community Clinic. It was located in an older house on 45th street. In fact, it was just down the street from the current 45th Street Community Clinic on the same side of the street. There may be people at the 45th street clinic that worked at the open door. Joy (Seattle)
[edit] ODC and more
I was one of the (more or less) full time staff at ODC from 1970 to 73 as the "Social Services Manager" I was known as Gordon in those days. I did my conscientious objector alternative service there. I left to travel in South America in 73. I came back a volunteered at the Clinic when I returned. My dog “Oso” loved to hang in the lounge while I was working. Of course I remember Richard B. I have lots of wonderful memories of those days. I wish we had been a model that transferred to some form of universal health care.
BTW I no longer am called Gordon. I am transsexual and transitioned a while ago. I am Alison Davison these days. I now live in Tucson, Arizona where I still work in social services. I work at Wingspan, Tucson’s LGBT community center, where I coordinate the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance (SAGA) If anyone wants to contact me, try: adavison@wingspan.org or lapis_23@hotmail.com
[edit] Worked at Open Door Clinic
I worked as a volunteer and then as a CETA employee at the Open Door Clinic, 1977 - 1979. It was a fabulous place. I met amazing people and learned a great deal. We had a grant to set up an ambulance service. The idea was great and we made some progress, but we never really got it completely off the ground. We did first aid at lots of events - University Street Fair, Fat Tuesday, etc. We also did transports of patients seeking voluntary admission to Western State Hospital...those were scary trips. We also helped abused women leave their homes and relocate to shelters. It was nerve-wracking, even with the police back-up. I remember one call where we had to also re-settle the puppy - it was named Thunder and very sweet - we took him to PAWS who was going to get him to the family when they got settled.
I would love to hear from people who worked there. I'm still in touch with Tim Humes, Cindy Johnson and David Hanig.
Yona Makowski Olympia, WA
