By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
What was once a growing concern has become an urgent crisis as youth mental health needs continue to rise across King County, leaving many young people without the support they need. In response, the county has launched mobile crisis response teams to provide immediate, community-based care.
“It was already going in that direction, but then the pandemic really just increased it because of the isolation. There are so many parts, particularly in youth development, that need to be experienced with peers,” said Susan McLaughlin, Acting Director of the Department of Community & Human Services. “That certain aspect was taken away, and that isolation led a lot of kids to have depression and anxiety. So, the need is high.”
Over the past decade, even as the need has grown, McLaughlin believes that the youth mental health system has deteriorated in numerous ways, making it harder to meet the needs of young people.
“We don’t have enough youth mental health beds in Washington state, and we don’t have enough youth substance abuse treatment programs, again specifically designed for kids, adolescents, and even transitional age youth,” said McLaughlin. “We have fewer services available at a time when there is the greatest need.”
McLaughlin also raised concerns about the need for a model that is easier for young people to access and better supports how they find and receive care.
“The 50 minutes of come sit in my office doesn’t always work for everybody, and we need to figure that out,” she said. “How do we create access in places where youth like to hang out, like community centers, to sort of bridge that relationship to get them to the point where they are willing to receive treatment? We need to reach kids where they are.”
To help address the youth mental health crisis and meet young people where they are, King County, through programs operated by the YMCA, has launched mobile crisis response teams across the region. These teams provide immediate support to children and teens facing mental health and substance use emergencies.
“They are accessed through the 988 hotline, and they will go out to wherever you are in the community, wherever the crisis is, and assist,” McLaughlin said. “They come out to the side of the road, schools, family homes, so many different places. The number one goal is to make sure everybody is safe, assess the situation, and de-escalate it as much as possible.”
“You can call as many times as you want, whenever you want. You don’t have to pay for it. It is a free service regardless of income, insurance, or your ability to pay, and that is what makes it unique and special,” she added.
In addition to meeting youth where they are, the mobile crisis response teams also help plan what comes next after the initial call, ensuring young people and their families have continued support and clear next steps.
“It could be facilitating transportation to a new crisis care center, to an inpatient hospital, or the emergency department, depending on what the situation is, and kind of anything in between,” said McLaughlin. “They assess the situation and make a plan for next steps.”
“They can also stay engaged with the family, often for up to eight weeks, for ongoing planning, follow-up care, and in-home support,” she continued. “They might follow up the next day, or come out to the home multiple times to do behavioral planning and work together to prevent future crises.”
Compared to traditional emergency responses such as law enforcement or emergency room visits, McLaughlin said what makes mobile crisis response teams especially effective is that they are trained behavioral health specialists equipped to provide focused care for youth in crisis.
“Most first responders aren’t, or they have very little training in this area,” she said. “These teams are very experienced and have extensive training in treating kids and families. It really is about the specialty care and ongoing support.”
“They are going to continue to help facilitate where youth need to go next, and for up to eight weeks, make sure that the youth and family get linked to the services they need,” she added.
One misconception McLaughlin highlighted is the stigma that youth mental health struggles are not “real” or serious, despite the very real challenges young people face.
“People tend to go the ‘oh that is just a troubled kid, or a juvenile delinquent’ route, and that is just the stereotypes and stigma around it,” she said. “They are not recognizing someone who is struggling. We don’t talk about it enough in our society, and people aren’t trained enough to recognize the signs and symptoms.”
“They will attribute it to all of these other things instead of really understanding that young people may need help,” McLaughlin continued. “People believe youth are bad kids instead of recognizing that mental health is real and kids are really suffering.”
During the pandemic, McLaughlin saw firsthand, through her own two teenage children, the impact it had on young people. That experience continues to motivate her work in youth mental health today.
“It was hard to get care and navigate the system, and it just needs to be easier,” she said. “We always say the youth are the future, but our youth are suffering, and we need to do something about it.”
“I have done a ton of clinical work, and we need to intervene early. The more we intervene early, the more we can prevent in the future,” she added.