When health care workers face a challenging event or traumatic circumstance, the Code Lavender program lends a helping hand and listening ear.
Established at MultiCare in 2016, Code Lavender quickly embraced multiple disciplines such as chaplains, mental health counselors, social workers and nurses to offer confidential colleague-to-colleague support, lifting up staff during difficult times. Supports include group debriefings, facilitated discussions and rounding conversations that connect health care workers with the same high-quality care they provide patients.
“When it comes to Code Lavender and living out this mission of healing and a healthy future, it’s not just the community outside our walls — it’s also the community inside our walls,” Code Lavender supervisor Arthur Fink explains.
Prioritizing the mental health and wellbeing of employees is fundamental. That’s why, with the help of generous donations, Code Lavender has expanded over the past six years to best serve the needs of care team members.
Recently, this has meant reaching out to employees mourning the loss of a coworker with a personalized gift bag of remembrance.
“It’s so meaningful to our staff when we can coordinate gifts and things that connect them back to their colleagues and help them through the experience of grief,” Arthur says.
In 2021, Code Lavender served more than 2,650 MultiCare care team members — a milestone that wouldn’t have been possible without the help of donors, staff and volunteers.
“The generosity of our community is incredible, and we wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for that.”
