Staff Spotlight, Chloé Southcote-Want

Tell us about yourself!

Hi! I’m Chloé Southcote-Want, Office Manager (OM) at the Seattle Outpatient location of The Emily Program. I’ve been in the OM role for about three years, but I’ve been with The Emily Program for six years this December in various other admin roles, both at Seattle Outpatient and Seattle Residential. Outside of work, I’m a proud dog mom of two very stubborn Plott Hounds.

Describe the career path that led you to The Emily Program.

My background is in public health, with a focus on community health. Prior to coming to TEP, I had worked at a few non-profits doing everything from fundraising for housing and community projects to larger health campaign marketing. After having a lot of experience in more broad public health, I wanted to get more specific experience on the clinical aspects of public health. TEP was the right fit for that, as eating disorders are such an all-encompassing disorder. There are so many factors and things that I learned in my training that I see every day at work, be that social determinants and barriers to treatment, or systems of insurance. Mental health clinics are a really important part of community health systems and the wider public health system.

What motivates you to show up for work each day? 

I really enjoy making the office a comfortable space for our clients to come to every day. I think that is a really important aspect of my job and I take it very seriously. When our clients feel like they are in a warm and welcoming space, they can open up and really dive into treatment. So I try to get up every day and make coming to the office an enjoyable experience for everyone who walks in our door (as much as I can).

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?  

So many things—where to even start! I’m both a baker and a knitter, and I would consider both of those to be my downtime hobbies for when I just want to relax at home. Most of the time while I’m knitting I’ll put one of the several shows I’m working my way through. Currently, I’m watching Upstart Crow, a fantastic British sitcom about Shakespeare. When I’m not doing either of those, I’m most likely to be found at a Seattle Sounders match or watching a cricket match.

What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?  

I have a paper baseball scorebook and I keep score at every baseball game that I attend. I learned how to keep score as a kid from my great-grandfather and it’s a bit of a family tradition. It’s a nice memory to have of each game that I go to, and so far this season I haven’t recorded a single loss in my book—fingers crossed it stays that way.