The connection between health and the law is multi-faceted. Some attorneys may view health care and social service providers as potential clients or expert witnesses. But others may view these providers as critical resources to enable their clients to have their basic needs — food, shelter, healthcare — met.
In King County, there is an organization called Crisis Clinic that helps community members find the help they need. For the hundreds of people who call Crisis Clinic’s programs each day, hearing an empathetic voice and finding resources to help can be a lifeline. Whether the caller is in emotional distress, recently diagnosed with a serious health or mental health condition, needing help paying bills to stay in their home, seeking free legal help or worried about a child, friend or neighbor, Crisis Clinic is often a first call for help.
Founded 45 years ago, Crisis Clinic offers an anonymous and confidential 24-Hour Crisis Line for those in emotional distress; a 2-1-1 Community Information Line for those seeking information and referrals on community resources; Teen Link, a helpline for teens in distress, answered by teen volunteers; and various community services and trainings. In 2008, Crisis Clinic answered more than 192,000 calls for help and trained nearly 6,000 youth in suicide awareness and prevention.
In the modern era of limited access to health resources, particularly in the area of mental health, Crisis Clinic serves as a crucial safety net to provide 24-hour mental health counseling and referrals, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The Crisis Line is available to anyone who calls. It also serves as the backup network for numerous mental health providers and agencies in the King County region.
The health of our neighbors is reflected in the health of our economy. As the economic recession deepens, Crisis Clinic hears its effects firsthand. It hears those effects in the voices of the callers and feels their impact with the increasing demand on social services.
Calls to the 2-1-1 Community Information Line increased 30% from 2007 to 2008, with the greatest increases in calls for basic needs and financial assistance. More than 90% of the calls to the 2-1-1 line are from persons living below the poverty level.
While many in the legal community may not be aware of the Crisis Clinic and the important work it does, Crisis Clinic is an oft-mentioned resource for first responders — police, firefighters and public safety officers — who are frequently the first persons to communicate with a person in need or in crisis. Attorneys may likewise find it to be a useful referral source for their clients whose needs often go beyond legal issues.
A recent addition to the Crisis Clinic’s group of services is screening for low-income legal services. When individuals in King County need civil legal help but don’t have the resources to hire a lawyer, Crisis Clinic’s 2-1-1 Community Information Line provides a vital link.
Through 2-1-1’s Legal Specialist program, individuals can simply dial 2-1-1 to speak to an information and referral specialist about their legal need and in many cases be screened on the spot for an appointment to meet with a low-cost or free legal assistance organization. In 2008, 2-1-1 received 8,591 calls related to legal issues such as family law, housing issues, immigration and other general civil legal inquiries.
And, as the recession is affecting more and more King County families, more people are in need of help, many for the first time ever. The 2-1-1 line connects individuals and families to thousands of social, government, health and basic needs services in King County. By simply dialing 2-1-1, families can find services to help with a variety of needs, such as housing for the night, locating a food pantry, finding nursing care for an aging parent, or finding financial help for paying rent or heating bills. Importantly, 2-1-1 also offers volunteer matching — a program that assists potential volunteers with finding local agencies that need volunteers.
When someone dials 2-1-1, that person reaches a professionally trained information and referral specialist. The specialist assesses the caller’s needs in order to provide information on the agencies best able to help, coaches the caller on how to best present his/her situation to the agency and helps the caller creatively problem-solve if no service is available. 2-1-1 specialists use Crisis Clinic’s database, which includes more than 6,000 services in King County, to find appropriate help. The database is the most comprehensive and up-to-date database of its kind in King County and is also available to anyone on Crisis Clinic’s website: www.crisisclinic.org.
While calls to the 24-Hour Crisis Line have not increased significantly, the calls are getting more complex, and job loss, financial stress or lack of healthcare are more and more part of the individual’s reason for calling. If individuals or families in King County are in distress, are in need of services or have questions about services they may be eligible for, Crisis Clinic may be able to help.
Crisis Clinic depends on volunteers to provide its services. Teens volunteer for Teen Link and obtain valuable training and experience in mentoring, counseling and listening. The 24-hour Crisis Clinic is staffed with volunteers who receive assistance from a mental health professional who is also present in the call center around the clock. Persons interested in volunteering for the Crisis Line participate in several weeks of training before beginning to take calls. There is always a continuing need for volunteers. Professional training takes place five times a year.
Crisis Clinic offers several other important services. Together with teens trained as peer counselors, Crisis Clinic mental health professionals conduct educational programs on suicide prevention in schools throughout the King County region. Crisis Clinic also runs a professionally led support group for survivors of suicide. The Survivors of Suicide (SOS) group provides an invaluable source of compassion and support for family members and friends who have lost loved ones through suicide.
With its front-line perspective on health and social service issues in the state, Crisis Clinic is a prominent leader, along with social service agencies such as United Way and public health systems, in the ongoing effort to ensure that quality services are accessible to all who need them. Attorneys may find Crisis Clinic to be a helpful resource for finding resources that they or their clients may need.
To reach the 2-1-1 Community Information Line, dial 2-1-1 or 877-211-WASH(9274).
The 24-Hour Crisis Line can be reached by calling 206-461-3222 or 866-4CRISIS (866-427-4747).
Teen Link help line can be reach by calling 206-461-4922 or 866-TEENLINK (866-833-6546). Maureen L. Mitchell is an attorney at Summit Law Group, PLLC, and has been a member of the Board of Directors of Crisis Clinic since 2006. Christina Merhar is development and community relations manager of Crisis Clinic.
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