For more than five decades, the Crisis Clinic of Thurston and Mason Counties has been there for the community — answering phones in the middle of the night, listening without judgment, and helping people navigate life’s most difficult moments, a news release from the clinic stated.
“Today, the organization is taking a moment to reintroduce itself to the community it serves,” the Crisis Clinic said in a news release.
Led by Executive Director Holly Wetzel, the Crisis Clinic continues its mission of ensuring that anyone in crisis has access to compassionate, confidential support, day or night.
“We create a space where our community can slow down and be heard anonymously, without judgment,” Wetzel said in the release. “Sometimes people just need someone to listen so they can begin to sort through what comes next.”
The Crisis Clinic operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing immediate emotional support and connections to local resources for people facing everything from anxiety and grief to housing instability, relationship violence, substance use, or suicidal thoughts.
While national resources like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provide critical support, the Crisis Clinic says it offers something uniquely powerful: local knowledge and local relationships.
“When someone calls us, we understand the specific resources available right here in Thurston and Mason Counties,” Wetzel explained. “That allows us to connect people directly with services that can help them in real time.”
The Crisis Clinic began more than 50 years ago at The Evergreen State College, where student volunteers staffed phone lines to meet the overwhelming demand for crisis support. In its early days, the need was so great that a dormitory was dedicated solely to housing volunteers answering calls, according to the release.
Over time, the organization evolved into a collaborative effort merging several emergency after-hours services serving Olympia, including:
The Crisis Clinic currently operates two primary access points:
Calls to the youth line are answered by trained teen advocates, offering peer-to-peer support for young people who may feel more comfortable speaking with someone their own age, the release stated.
Volunteer advocates complete an intensive five-to-six-week training program totaling more than 60 hours, covering topics such as crisis intervention, suicide prevention, mental health, substance use, interpersonal violence, grief and loss, and connecting callers with local services.
Because the Crisis Clinic is locally rooted, volunteers are trained specifically in the resources available throughout Thurston and Mason Counties.
“Many crises stem from material needs like food insecurity, housing instability, or isolation,” said Wetzel. “Advocates help callers untangle what they’re feeling so they can begin to think through their next steps.”
Callers may be connected with trusted community partners including Community Youth Services; Behavioral Health Resources; Family Support Center of South Sound; Olympic Health & Recovery Services; SafePlace Olympia; Thurston County Food Bank; Olympia Free Clinic; South Sound Behavioral Hospital; and many others.
A key principle of the Crisis Clinic is protecting the dignity and autonomy of each person who calls.
The clinic does not require callers to provide their name or address, does not use caller ID, does not force interventions and only collects personal information only with consent
If someone needs in-person support, advocates can help facilitate a handoff to emergency responders or local crisis teams, but only with the caller’s agreement.
“We meet callers exactly where they are,” Wetzel said in the release. “Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, compassion, and choice.”
The Crisis Clinic answers more than 10,000 calls each year, and its volunteer-driven model relies heavily on community support.
The organization is currently recruiting volunteers for its next crisis line advocate training beginning in May 2026.
Community members can also support the work through donations or by joining the Hope Collective, the clinic’s monthly giving program.
“For more than 50 years, the Crisis Clinic has been neighbors helping neighbors,” Wetzel said. “Every call reminds us that connection can change someone’s life.”
