Amanda DeFisher

2022-2023 | King County - Department of Assessments

AMANDA DEFISHER is a nonprofit strategist and champion for good. With over seventeen years of experience in program design, capacity building, budget development and ground-level work with individuals and families experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders and/or mental illness, she brings a well-rounded perspective to her Fellowship role. Amanda is also the founding board member of Recovery All Ways, a recovery-based nonprofit organization serving people in the heart of the opioid crisis in Rochester, New York. Amanda holds an MPA in Healthcare Administration from the State University of New York and a BA in American Studies from St. John Fisher College.

Project

In King County, the pandemic introduced new disparities into an already fragmented homelessness response system. Many people experiencing homelessness in King County have split into two camps: one where resources and services are now relatively rich and one which pulls residents into more extreme circumstances. To support operating a synchronized, regional, and culturally competent continuum of care, King County will partner with FUSE Corps for one year to support revamping the county’s services system into one that is responsive to the needs of all residents experiencing homelessness.