Community Corner highlights the work of Seattle Human Services’ community partners in their own words. Our goal is to gather stories and photos that illustrate their amazing work on behalf of the people of Seattle. This post was written by Crisis Connections.
What is your organization’s origin story, and what role does it fulfill in your community?
Washington Teen Link was founded in 1996 as a program of Crisis Connections, one of the oldest crisis lines in the nation. It was created in response to an emerging need identified by mental health professionals, educators, and families; youth often don’t feel comfortable talking with adults when facing emotional distress. Teen Link was developed to offer a safe, confidential space where trained teen volunteers could listen, empathize, and provide resources to their fellow youth.
Over the years, Teen Link has grown into a trusted resource across King County and the entire state of Washington. It plays a critical role in the community by providing evening peer-to-peer phone, chat, and text support for youth ages 13–20 who are dealing with issues like anxiety, depression, family conflict, identity concerns, substance use, and thoughts of suicide.
How does your partnership with Seattle Human Services (HSD) assist you in that role?
Our partnership with HSD is instrumental in sustaining and expanding Teen Link’s impact. Through funding and collaboration, HSD allows us to:
- Enhance our training curriculum with topics including trauma-informed care, suicide prevention, and system navigation.
- Maintain 7-days-a-week availability, including phone, chat, and text platforms that meet youth where they are, especially those who may not feel safe speaking aloud at home.
- Provide professional mental health staff who oversee all teen interactions, provide guidance during high-risk situations, and ensure safety protocols are followed.
Teen Link ensures Seattle’s young people have equitable access to support, especially those who might face barriers to traditional mental health services.
How has your organization grown or developed in recent years?
In recent years, Teen Link has evolved to meet increasing mental health needs among youth and the growing complexity of challenges they face. Key developments include:
- Digital expansion: We added chat and text support alongside our phone line .
- Volunteer diversity: We’ve made a concentrated effort to recruit and retain youth volunteers from a wide range of racial, ethnic, linguistic, and LGBTQIA+ backgrounds.
- Expanded outreach: Our team partners with local schools, youth programs, and community-based organizations.
- Clinical enhancements: Our program has integrated stronger clinical supervision and data tracking.
- Youth voice integration: We prioritize youth leadership in shaping our services.
Why is it important for HSD and City of Seattle taxpayers to invest in community-led work?
Investing in community-led work like Teen Link ensures that solutions are rooted in the lived experiences, cultural strengths, and real needs of the people they serve—allowing programs to be more accessible, responsive, trusted, and ultimately effective.
In Teen Link’s case, this means youth are leading the way, community feedback continuously shapes programming, and we are improving access and outcomes for BIPOC youth, LGBTQIA+ teens, and other marginalized populations.
How do your organization’s programs and services help to reduce the disparities experienced by people of color living in our region?
At Teen Link, we actively work to:
- Increase representation within our teen volunteer base and staff to reflect the communities most impacted by mental health disparities.
- Offer culturally responsive support, with training in anti-racism, implicit bias, and systemic trauma.
- Partner with organizations serving BIPOC youth—including immigrant/refugee services, youth detention programs, and cultural community centers—to co-host events, provide trainings, and build trust.
- Remove barriers to care by being free, confidential, and available without the need for insurance, documentation, or adult consent.
Tell us an example of how an HSD-funded program or service impacted one of your community members.
A recent example involves a 16-year-old student who reached out to Teen Link via text late at night, struggling with intense anxiety after being bullied online and experiencing violence in their school. The teen shared they had felt unsafe discussing these feelings with adults for fear of judgment or lack of understanding. A trained Teen Link volunteer was able to validate their feelings, explore coping strategies, and—most importantly—listen without judgment.
With the guidance of a Teen Link supervisor, the teen was gently encouraged to consider connecting with a school counselor and was referred to a local trauma-informed counseling center. The teen later reached out again, thanking the Teen Link volunteer for “being the first person I could really talk to.”
What motivates your staff or keeps you going?
What keeps our team going is the deep belief in the power of youth voice and peer connection. Every day, we see how being heard—truly heard—can shift a teen’s path from despair to hope. Our staff is motivated by the incredible courage teens show in reaching out, and by the dedication of our youth volunteers, many of whom are navigating their own challenges while showing up to support others.
Whether it’s preventing a suicide, connecting someone to therapy, or simply being there in a dark moment, we know our presence matters. The stories we hear, the growth in our volunteers, and the appreciation from families and schools remind us that our work is both urgent and meaningful.