A quiet space

MOSES LAKE — The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin cut the ribbon Tuesday on the new Mental Health Quiet Room at the McGraw Clubhouse, and it’s much needed, said Executive Director Kim Pope. 

“We knew, with the behavioral and the social and emotional challenges that our club kids have, that we needed a space that was quieter for them, a place they could de-escalate, a place that they could just kind of like chill out without it being a punishment,” Pope said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

Anyone who’s been to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin’s McGraw Clubhouse has noticed the noise. It may be a positive noise — lots of youngsters whooping and shrieking as they have fun — but it’s still noise. And for some children, especially ones on the autism spectrum, that’s a problem. 

“This room is definitely going to cater to those kids that have sensory issues,” said Behavioral Support Specialist Santiago Alba. “From the fidget toys that we have in here, to the games that I provide to the atmosphere that we try to cater and nurture in here, I think it really is a very calming environment for them.” 

The Mental Health Quiet Room is built into a corner of the clubhouse’s homework room, which isn’t as loud as some other parts of the building but still has conversations going on and computer keys clacking away. The quiet room isn’t completely soundproof, but it does have sound-dampening blocks on the walls that keep outside noise to a minimum. For the kids who can’t cope with even that much outside noise, there are ear protectors to keep it away. Those ear protectors can also be taken out of the room for children who want to play outside but can’t process the noise. 

Besides Alba’s desk, the room is furnished with two big comfy chairs, each with a weighted stuffed frog. On the wall next to one of the chairs, there’s a row of colored hexagonal lights that turn on and off with a touch, which children can use to calm down with. The room is also stocked with various fidget toys and worry stones, and a squeezable bear called a “breathing buddy.” 

“It changes colors on a rotational basis, so it helps you track (your) breath,” Alba said. “So you can breathe alongside the breathing buddy. You can breathe in, and by the time it changes color, you're able to breathe out. It really helps with regulating and decompressing.” 

The room has windows and cameras so staff can keep an eye on the children inside, and shutters to block the windows when needed. The shutters are operated by a slide rather than a string, for safety’s sake. 

Besides being a chilling-out space, the room will serve as Alba’s office. Alba plans to use the room for counseling with the children, he said. He spends 10 to 20 minutes in either one-on-one or group sessions with children, letting them talk about what’s going on in their lives. Some of the club kids are dealing with scary things like homelessness or family problems, he said, and he can connect them with Renew or New Hope as needed.  

The room was made possible by local elected representatives and CAD Homes of Moses Lake, Pope said. At last year’s fundraiser auction, the club was going to raffle off a house, to be built by CAD Homes. But when not enough tickets were sold to build the home, the club split the proceeds of the raffle with the winner, which left the club with some extra money for the project. State Reps. Tom Dent and Alex Ybarra and state Sen. Judy Warnick championed the project through the state legislature and nailed down funding for the rest, Pope said. Dent and Warnick were present at the ribbon cutting as well. 

“We live in a different world than we all grew up in,” Dent said. “And our kids have different challenges. This is a needed facility that we can help these kids through when they’re having hard days.” 

The mental health side of the Boys & Girls Club, not just the quiet room but Alba’s counseling, is going to be very important this year, Pope said, especially with budget problems straining the school district’s resources. 

“That will be so helpful for our club kids because (maybe) they have two working parents or maybe it's a single-parent household that's just trying to get by,” she said. “Sometimes this is the one resource that those kids have, and we want to make the most out of it.” 

    The Mental Health Quiet Room at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin McGraw Clubhouse is stocked with fidget toys and a squishy breathing buddy to help children de-escalate and regulate themselves.
  

    Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin Behavioral Support Specialist Santiago Alba shows a pair of ear protectors, for children who want to play outside the quiet room but need to keep out the outside noise.
  

    Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin Executive Director Kim Pope and state rep. Tom Dent cut the ribbon on the club’s new Mental Health Quiet Room, flanked by state Sen. Judy Warnick, members of the club’s board and the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.