The Crisis Clinic of Thurston and Mason Counties is facing a crisis of its own
For years, the Crisis Clinic of Thurston and Mason Counties has provided trained volunteers for adults and youth to call anonymously when they need help or someone to listen. That caller might be someone who is sad or depressed, someone in need of food or shelter, or even someone contemplating suicide.
When someone calls — and the organization handles about 10,000 calls a year — volunteers are on hand to help or point people in the right direction to get the resources they need.
“Our goal is to empower the caller,” said CB Bowers, a longtime volunteer, current board member and a former board president.
Now, the Crisis Clinic finds itself in crisis, and in need of someone who will listen, after anticipated budget cuts, which took effect Jan. 1, were much deeper than expected, Bowers said.
Monthly funding for the clinic has fallen to $4,000 from $12,000. The clinic has a small paid staff, but also is responsible for maintenance and expenses at its undisclosed call center location.
Despite the shortfall, Bowers remains hopeful that another donor will step up.
“I’m an optimist,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the community and mental health professionals coming forward.”
The primary source of funding
The Crisis Clinic’s drop in funding comes as a result of a big change to what used to be known as the Thurston-Mason Behavioral Health Organization, but is now the Thurston-Mason Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organization, said the administration’s Chief Operating Officer Joe Avalos.
The Olympian reported the change last year, saying “BHOs across the state will no longer be tasked with providing Medicaid-funded behavioral health services.”
Instead, for-profit managed care organizations, such as Molina Healthcare of Washington, Amerigroup Washington and United Healthcare, took over.
The result, Avalos said, is they lost their Medicaid funding and a reduced ability to fund other organizations, such as the clinic.
“They play an important part in our community,” said Avalos about the clinic. “This is why we did what we could to fund them in some way. We still saw them as a vital asset to the Thurston-Mason region.”
Bowers said the Crisis Clinic isn’t closing, but the clock is ticking. She’s grateful that the nonprofit has worked hard to save money, and has about $120,000 in the bank.
The organization has other funding sources, such as the Nisqually tribe, although those funds have recently fluctuated. Last year, they received $35,000 from the Nisquallys, but this year it was $10,000, she said.
If the Crisis Clinic were to close, it would be a loss felt by local law enforcement, Olympia Police Department spokesman Lt. Paul Lower said. Police encounter people in crisis and often will refer them to the clinic to see what resources are available to them, he said.
“It’s one of our tools in the tool chest,” he said.
More volunteers needed
But money isn’t the only thing the Crisis Clinic needs.
The clinic has about 45 volunteers for an organization that operates 24/7, 365 days a year. Bowers said they would like to have 60.
Volunteers undergo six weeks of training in crisis intervention, setting boundaries and non-judgmental behavior. They ask volunteers to commit to 200 hours of volunteer time a year, she said. A typical shift is four hours. The highest volume of calls are related to depression and mental illness, while suicide calls are rare, Bowers said.
“That can be scary for volunteers but we train them how to deal with it,” she said.
If you would like to help
▪ To donate to the Crisis Clinic, you can donate via PayPal on its website at www.crisis-clinic.org, or send a check to The Crisis Clinic of Thurston and Mason Counties, 1910 E. Fourth Ave., PMB #87, Olympia, WA 98506-4632.
▪ To volunteer, apply through the website or call the business line at 360-586-2888. Applicants are interviewed and undergo background checks. The next volunteer training begins Jan. 10.
▪ If you are an adult in crisis, call 360-586-2800. If you are a youth in crisis, call 360-586-2777. There’s also a toll-free number: 800-627-2211.
This story was originally published January 5, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
