Riki Jacobs, Supervisor of the Crisis Clinic of the Peninsulas and a Native American Mental Health Specialist, has announced her retirement effective July 6. Jacobs joined Kitsap Mental Health Services (KMHS), the agency administering the Crisis Clinic, over 27 years ago when the Crisis Clinic served only Kitsap County. Under Jacobs’ leadership, its services expanded to include Clallam and Jefferson, the other two counties in the Peninsula Regional Service Network, and earned a certification by the American Association of Suicidology making the Crisis Clinic eligible to join the National Hopeline Network. Jacobs also managed KMHS’ contract with United Way of Kitsap County to service InfoLink contacts and oversaw the transition of InfoLink to the new 2-1-1 service for the same three-county region.

Jacobs, who is Scots-Irish, Danish and one-half Choctaw Indian, was involved in the Kitsap Indian Center during its existence and is a past member of the Kitsap County Council on Human Rights. She has participated in the annual Tribal (Canoe) Journeys, culturally linking Native villages of Washington State and British Columbia. During her studies for a Master of Arts in Human Development with a specialty in Bi-Culturalism she delivered her thesis to the Aotearoa World Indigenous Women and Wellness Gathering in New Zealand.

“I have found my work with the Crisis Clinic and Kitsap Mental Health Services to be wonderful, fulfilling and challenging and have never been bored with the job,” says Jacobs of her years of service. “I am proud of KMHS as always being on the cutting edge of mental health practice.”

The Crisis Clinic of the Peninsulas, staffed 24 hours, seven days a week, is the third oldest crisis clinic in the United States, turning 42 years old in August, and still has the two longest-serving crisis line volunteers, Lucy Konizeski and Marge Thorne, who were instrumental in establishing the organization itself. For more information, or to volunteer, call 415-5816 Friends and colleagues of Riki Jacobs are invited to greet her at a reception in her honor on Thursday, June 28, 1:00-4:00pm at Kitsap Mental Health Services in Bremerton. Call 415-5800 for more information.