Crisis Clinic hires new executive director, plans major fundraiser as nonprofit turns 50
The Crisis Clinic of Thurston and Mason Counties, a nonprofit that provides volunteers to field calls from those in crisis around the clock, turned 50 this year. It has emerged from the pandemic, it has a new leader and at the end of the month, it will host a fundraising event with a goal of raising $50,000.
At the helm is Zachary Duncan, 31, who was named executive director last December. He grew up in Olympia, he attended The Evergreen State College and went on to earn his master’s degree in social work from the University of Washington.
Duncan interned at the Crisis Clinic while he was still at Evergreen and later worked for the organization through an Americorps program. After graduating from UW, he went to work at the state Department of Children, Youth and Families.
One day, he got a call from Crisis Clinic board member Nora Hanson, who was reaching out to him about suicide prevention training. She mentioned that the Crisis Clinic was in the market for a new director. Duncan immediately expressed interest in the job and within the week he was back at the nonprofit, Hanson said.
“We were fortunate to be able to get someone with his breadth of experience,” she said, adding that he is “doing a really, really good job.”
The Crisis Clinic operates 24/7, 365 days a year and fields 9,000 to 10,000 calls annually. It has a four-person paid staff, as well as 25 volunteers who are trained to answer calls and help those in crisis. They work four-hour shifts during the day, plus an eight-hour overnight shift that Duncan acknowledged is hard to fill. Twenty-five volunteers is not enough. Ideally, they need about 40, he said.
The nonprofit’s annual budget is $225,000 — money that is raised from private donations, grants and area tribes, including the Nisquallys, Duncan said.
The 50th year fundraiser, in partnership with the ASHHO Cultural Community Center in Tumwater, is set for 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 30. The event will include dinner, speakers, live music and a Salsa dance instructor who will get everyone on their feet to learn a few Salsa dance moves, Duncan said.
Those who are interested in attending the fundraiser should visit the Crisis Clinic website for more information.
Meanwhile, The Olympian sat down with Duncan and asked him a few questions about the clinic and its work.
Q: What was it that interested you in this work?
A: Well, I think for me growing up I had some turmoil in my family life. As an adolescent, I dealt with depression, anxiety, again, things that a lot of kids deal with and that a lot of kids don’t talk about. I just happened to be one of those kids. Getting into adulthood, I was very much connected to providing service of some sort when it came to working with mental health or with kids. It just felt like there was never another choice. This was my calling. I figured that out at 21 and started from there.
Q: What types of calls do you receive at the Crisis Clinic?
A: People struggling within their daily lives. It could be a lack of resources, lack of a support system, issues with relationships or work. A lot of times it’s about depression, anxiety, or they haven’t taken their medication, or it’s more serious like domestic violence and sexual assault. Housing is a big one in our current climate. People who are needing housing, people who need to get into a shelter, people who are in the houseless community and are trying to find a way to get off the streets.
Q: How do you handle the most serious calls?
A: If we receive a call and someone is talking about suicide that sets off a flag and cues us to begin our assessment process: We ask about intention, we ask about what they might be planning and we ask about a timeline. Some people experience suicidal ideation without an actual plan. But if the caller says they would use a firearm and have a time and date in mind, then it’s time to spring into action and contact someone from emergency services. We then become increasingly direct and ask the caller to give us just three pieces of information: name, phone number and their location, and then we call 911 and get that person some help. I had a caller very recently that I went through that process with and got emergency services for them.
Q: When you worked as a volunteer, what was your first call like?
A: I remember it very clearly. It was a caller experiencing a behavioral health crisis. It’s scary because you are coming face to face with someone who is struggling and they are looking for support. That in itself is an intense process when you’re getting into it and I remember asking myself: What if I can’t help them? What if I’m not able to provide them with what they need? But I remembered the training and I just listened. I offered a couple of reflections here and there, I was compassionate and empathetic and I made a genuine effort to connect with them and to hear their struggle, and after about 10 minutes that call was de-escalated. They were feeling safer in that moment and ultimately it felt like a success. It was my very first experience in the field where I felt, OK, I can do this.
Are you in crisis? The Crisis Clinic can be reached at 360-586-2800. The teen/youth line is 360-586-2777.
This story was originally published September 5, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
