SOUND Behavioral Health is thrilled to announce that NFL star and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf selected SOUND Behavioral Health’s Deaf Services Program as a partner for this year’s NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” fundraiser and awareness campaign. According to the NFL, the My Cause My Cleats initiative allows players to “wear their hearts on their feet” by choosing an organization that personally matters to them and then showcasing that organization on their customized cleats worn during a game in Weeks 13 and 14 of this year’s season (Nov. 28 to Dec. 9).

Metcalf chose to support and promote SOUND Behavioral Health’s Deaf Services Program because of his personal connection to the deaf community, a connection he formed during a summer college course to learn American Sign Language (ASL).

"It's just giving people who don't think they have much of a voice, a voice, and bringing eyes to something that many people may not have paid a lot of attention to," Metcalf explained during an interview with ESPN. "So (it’s) just shedding light on something else other than football."

Metcalf selected two charity recipients – one for each shoe – to highlight in this year’s My Cause My Cleats campaign: Prison Fellowship and SOUND Behavioral Health’s Deaf Services Program. SOUND Behavioral Health’s program for the Deaf community is part of a full spectrum of mental health and substance abuse treatment services the community behavioral health agency provides to more than 15,000 individuals annually across King County. Metcalf wore his customized cleats during the Seahawks’ game against the New York Jets on Sunday, Dec. 1.

For the first time, Metcalf and other NFL players teamed up with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to use AWS’s generative AI to personally design their custom cleats, which Metcalf said makes this year’s campaign even more special. “I think it’s gonna be big…on game day to have their work of art on the NFL field, it’s something they can look at and be like, I created that,” Metcalf said.

SOUND Behavioral Health’s CEO, Katrina Egner, and Deaf Services Program Lead Clinician, Heidi Isakson, collaborated with Metcalf on the shoe design process during a meeting earlier this fall at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center (VMAC) practice facility in Renton, Wash.

“We are so proud and thankful DK Metcalf chose SOUND Behavioral Health’s Deaf Services Program for the My Cause My Cleats campaign,” said Egner. “Mental health disorders in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community are approximately 25% higher than in the general population. SOUND Behavioral Health is the only community mental health organization in Washington that has a Deaf Services department, and we are grateful to DK for helping us raise awareness of the critical need to support our Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.”

The Deaf Services Program at SOUND Behavioral Health is progressive and uniquely qualified, bringing together multi-disciplinary counseling professionals specializing in working with Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deafblind, and late-deafened adults and children. SOUND Behavioral Health clinicians are committed to addressing disparities in mental health and substance use disorder treatment by providing culturally and linguistically appropriate treatment for this unique population. Services are offered both in person and via telehealth to provide comprehensive, evidence-based treatment for a range of needs.

“We are so grateful to DK and thrilled by this important recognition,” said Heidi Isakson, Lead Clinician for SOUND Behavioral Health’s Deaf Services Program. “The Deaf experience is unlike any other. Across the country there are very few therapists who are fluent in ASL. Our SOUND Behavioral Health’s Deaf Services team is made of clinicians who live the experience and are trained to deliver community mental health and substance use disorder services in our clients’ native, natural language (American Sign Language). DK’s support for our community means the world to us because it will increase awareness for how important ASL is for mental health.”

Please visit SOUND Behavioral Health’s Deaf Services Program page to learn more about these life-changing services and how you can support this mission.

About SOUND Behavioral Health For nearly 60 years, SOUND Behavioral Health has been committed to ensuring everyone in our community has the support they need to live their best lives. As a leading nonprofit behavioral health services provider, SOUND Behavioral Health supports Seattle and King County’s most vulnerable populations with community mental health and substance use disorder treatment services. SOUND Behavioral Health cares for those who are ignored, marginalized or challenging to serve. Notably, 85% of the people SOUND Behavioral Health serves live below the poverty line.

SOUND Behavioral Health’s mission is to strengthen our community and improve the lives of our clients by delivering excellent health and human services tailored to meet their needs. From our 16 locations across King County, as well as in homes, on the streets, at shelters, hospitals and schools, SOUND is on track to assist more than 15,000 children, youth and adults in 2024 navigating poverty, disabilities, abuse, addiction, mental illness and homelessness.

For more information, please visit www.sound.health.

For Media Inquiries, Contact:Carolyn DouglasDirector of Marketing and CommunicationsSOUND Behavioral HealthCarolyn.Douglas@Sound.Health(206) 801-4181 (direct)www.sound.health

A video accompanying this announcement is available at:  https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ebde13aa-554d-4e28-a962-860e6d3229aa