By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
King County families facing a child’s mental health crisis have access to free, around-the-clock support, including crisis counselors, mobile response teams and walk-in behavioral health care, offering alternatives to emergency rooms when children need help.
Through its Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), King County is expanding services for children, teens and families experiencing anxiety, depression, family conflict and other mental health challenges. The effort comes as young people navigate academic pressures, social media, loneliness and other stresses affecting their emotional well-being.
“Half of all lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 14, making childhood and adolescence a crucial window to identify problems and intervene in life-changing ways,” said Dr. Eric Bruns, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a parent. “While effective treatment strategies exist, the majority of young people never receive them, with research suggesting fewer than half get help that works. Closing this gap requires providing support where young people already are such as schools while ensuring access to crisis services providing somewhere to call, someone who will respond, and a safe place to go.”
Dr. Matt Goldman, a psychiatrist and crisis system medical director for King County’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Division, said growing mental health needs can affect young people’s relationships, school performance and daily lives.
“Times are tough out there. It’s hard being a kid no matter what, and there are these trends of increasing rates of mental health needs among kids,” Goldman said. “Regardless of why it’s happening, we just know that it’s impacting young people in ways that really affect their lives. There is so much need to be able to support that suffering, and we know that there is hope, there are treatments that help, and there are services that can really help kids in these situations.”
For parents unsure where to turn, King County’s crisis response system offers four forms of support: someone to call, someone to respond, a safe place to go and someone to follow up.
Families can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support 24 hours a day. Trained counselors provide immediate guidance and connect callers with additional resources. Teens seeking peer support can call or text Teen Link at 866-833-6546 from 6 to 10 p.m. daily.
When a phone conversation is not enough, King County’s Mobile Response and Stabilization Services program, operated in partnership with the YMCA, sends trained crisis workers to homes and community locations throughout the county.
Families can request mobile support through 988. Responders help calm immediate situations, assess what assistance is needed and can provide up to eight weeks of continued support to help prevent another crisis.
Bruns said the combination of immediate response and follow-up care can help young people remain at home and in school while reducing unnecessary emergency room visits, police involvement and placements outside the home.
Between January and September 2026, youth mobile crisis teams completed 719 outreach responses. Suicidality and risk of self-harm were each identified in 43% of reported cases, followed by family conflict at 35%, anxiety at 32% and depression at 29%. Other concerns included disruptive behavior, difficulty regulating emotions, school problems and peer conflicts. The categories overlap because young people may experience multiple challenges.
King County is also developing a regional network of crisis care centers through a levy approved by voters in April 2023. The plan calls for five facilities, including four regional centers and one dedicated to children and youth. Connections Kirkland, the first regional center, opened in 2024. Additional facilities are planned, including a Seattle location proposed for the former Polyclinic building on Broadway.
Connections Kirkland operates a Youth Behavioral Health Urgent Care clinic for children and teens ages 4 to 17. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the clinic provides same-day assistance for non-life-threatening mental health concerns, including anxiety, panic attacks, depression and behavioral difficulties.
Families can walk in or request an appointment for an assessment, safety planning and referrals. The clinic can be reached at 425-650-3896, with online appointments available through Connections Health Solutions.
Between January and August 2026, the Kirkland center recorded more than 4,650 visits involving more than 3,000 individuals. During its first two years, from August 2024 through August 2026, it served nearly 7,000 individuals through more than 11,000 visits. These figures reflect the broader crisis care center, not just youth urgent care.
Goldman emphasized that county crisis services are provided without out-of-pocket costs to families. Insurance may be billed when applicable, but the county covers remaining costs, including copays, deductibles and uncovered services. Families without insurance can also receive assistance.
Knowing where to find help, however, is only part of the challenge. For many parents, the harder question is recognizing when their child needs it.
Young people experiencing emotional difficulties may not always express what they are feeling. Changes in sleeping or eating habits, declining grades, withdrawal from friends or persistent irritability can signal a need for support.
Bruns encourages parents to pay attention to changes lasting more than two weeks and create opportunities for honest conversations. His advice begins with a simple message: “Asking is caring.”
According to Bruns, asking directly about suicide does not introduce the idea or encourage suicidal behavior. Instead, it can open a conversation a child may not know how to begin.
Listening without immediately offering solutions can also help young people feel heard. Shared meals, car rides and other everyday activities provide opportunities to talk without pressure. A trusted adult outside the family, such as a teacher, coach or counselor, can offer additional support.
Bruns emphasizes that seeking professional assistance early is a responsible step, not a sign of parental failure.
Although youth mental health has improved in some respects since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, significant concerns remain. Bruns said approximately one in three young people experiences serious depression or anxiety, while one in 10 experiences suicidal thoughts.
In Washington, adolescents ages 13 and older can consent to certain outpatient mental health services without parental permission, allowing them to seek help independently.
For families seeking ongoing treatment rather than immediate crisis intervention, King County offers an online Behavioral Health Provider Search and a Client Services line at 206-263-8997 or 1-800-790-8049.
A mental health crisis does not have to involve immediate danger. A panic attack, escalating conflict at home or a child who has stopped communicating can all be reasons to seek guidance.
Families can call or text 988 at any time for crisis support or information about available services. For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.
