Kevin Gaines, an Air Force veteran in Everett who deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Africa, has twice received state arts grants to manage his PTSD through painting.

His story is now central to Washington's push to let doctors prescribe art.

The Washington State Arts Commission, known as ArtsWA, signed a two-year, $250,000 contract in July with Atlanta-based SocialRx to build social prescribing into the state's healthcare system, the Seattle Times reported Thursday, Aug. 27. The pilot would let healthcare providers refer patients to community arts activities as part of their treatment.

For Gaines, art already works that way. He used ArtsWA's Wellness, Arts, and the Military (WAM) Self-directed Art Practice grant to learn airbrushing and figure painting for Dungeons & Dragons. He says the hobby has become central to managing his PTSD, alongside guitar and years of VA therapy.

"I've done a lot of work through therapy," Gaines told the Seattle Times, "but painting is the most beneficial thing I've found for my mental health."

In June, Gaines brought that practice to his neighbors. He taught a "Learn to Paint 3D Miniatures" class at the Everett Public Library's Evergreen Branch, walking a class capped at 20 participants through painting dragons, monsters and aircraft. A second session served kids ages 9–17. ArtsWA grant funding covered all supplies.

The statewide pilot

Seattle nonprofit Path with Art is providing funding and project management for the pilot. The state arts commission expects no state money will be used. The pilot will start in King County, with a goal of reaching all counties statewide. ArtsWA said the first prescriptions likely won't be written until the contract's second year.

Washington is on track to be the first state on the West Coast to launch a statewide social prescribing program, according to the Seattle Times. Massachusetts partnered with SocialRx in 2024 as the first state in the country to do so.

Under the SocialRx model, a provider identifies a patient dealing with loneliness, depression or anxiety and refers them to the program. A staffer connects the patient with fitting activities, handles logistics and reports back to the referring provider.

Local roots, national recognition

ArtsWA's WAM program has connected veterans with arts programming for nearly a decade, working with the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs to bring arts activities to the state's four veterans homes.

The program won an Abraham Lincoln Pillars of Excellence award in 2025, a national honor from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs.

Recent state budget cuts forced the WAM program to scale back, though outside grants have kept it operating through next year. The SAP grant that funded Gaines' work provides up to $3,000 per recipient, according to ArtsWA's grant page. The current application cycle opened Aug. 19 and closes Sept. 30.

Path with Art CEO Holly Jacobson said the nonprofit's programs have grown 188% since 2020 to about 2,000 annual participants. In a Johns Hopkins University study published in May, more than 80% of Path with Art participants reported feeling less lonely after eight weeks.

Gaines said he would seek a social prescription from his provider given the chance. The SAP grant cycle is open now to all military-connected Washingtonians, with preference given to first-time applicants.