A nonprofit built from clinical insight, community compassion, and the belief that every person deserves the support to fully heal.
Founder & Executive Director
Board Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with over 15 years of clinical experience in behavioral health, mental health, and addiction recovery. Dr. Wainaina founded Hope & Chance after witnessing patients succeed in treatment but fail in life due to the absence of wraparound support.
Dr. Mercy Wainaina began her career as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with an unwavering commitment to behavioral health — to understanding the complex intersections of mental illness, trauma, and addiction, and to helping individuals navigate these with dignity.
She saw a painful, recurring pattern: patients working hard in treatment, making real progress, only to relapse because they had nowhere stable to sleep, no way to get to appointments, and no one genuinely invested in their success outside the clinical hour.
The clinical system was doing its job — but the ecosystem around recovery was broken. People needed housing, transportation, peers who understood, and accountability partners who showed up.
"Recovery doesn't happen in a clinical hour. It happens in the hours in between — where people live, where they sleep, where they struggle and where they find strength."
So she built the ecosystem. Hope and Chance was created to be the wraparound layer that transforms clinical treatment into lasting, sustainable recovery.
Every service we provide, every relationship we build, and every decision we make is grounded in these foundational values.
Every person who walks through our doors deserves to be seen, heard, and treated with unconditional respect — regardless of their history.
We believe deeply in the transformative power of lived experience. Our RES team members have walked this road — that's what makes their support extraordinary.
Recovery isn't just about sobriety — it's about rebuilding a full, meaningful life. We address housing, community, purpose, and belonging alongside clinical care.
Isolation fuels addiction. Belonging fuels recovery. We build genuine community around every individual we support.
We actively remove barriers — financial, logistical, cultural — so that quality recovery support is accessible to everyone who needs it.
We hold people to their highest potential while meeting them with grace. Structure and compassion aren't opposites — together they build recovery.
From a single clinical insight to a full wraparound ecosystem serving hundreds of individuals across Washington State.
Dr. Wainaina identifies the critical gap between clinical treatment and real-world recovery success while working as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.
The organization launches with a mission to provide wraparound support — housing, transportation, and peer mentorship — that makes treatment stick.
A formal clinical partnership is established with New Era Mental Health, creating Washington State's most comprehensive integrated recovery ecosystem.
Eight dedicated Recovery Empowerment Specialists, 5,000+ transportation rides, and a 98% treatment retention rate for housed clients.
Interested in learning more about our impact or partnering with us?
Get in TouchWhether you're seeking support, making a referral, or exploring partnership opportunities — we'd love to hear from you.