Free, trauma-informed youth hotline releases report on its first year

SEATTLE – In the first year since launching, 161 youth (aged 0-25) and concerned individuals in 20 counties across Washington contacted HearMeWA – the free, trauma-informed youth hotline. HearMeWA is a text and phone hotline available 24 hours a day in multiple languages and that fully complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act’s visual and hearing guidelines.

The contacts from the past year echo data gathered from the 2023 Healthy Youth Survey, pointing to issues that continue to weigh on youth. Almost half of the contacts to HearMeWA were about: bullying/cyberbullying (13%), depression and harassment (9%), anxiety (8%), child abuse and neglect (7%), and suicide/suicide ideation (6%).

While funding cuts are impacting youth resources nationwide, in its first year HearMeWA has already become a vital resource for Washington state. It is the only 24/7 statewide helpline intended to exclusively serve youth, and many schools have already adopted HearMeWA as their sole anonymous reporting tool. The program provides a safe environment and non-judgmental support for youth to express their concerns and seek help, potentially preventing tragedies and acts of violence.

“HearMeWA is a powerful source of connection offering support to anyone up to 25 years of age, at any time,” said Attorney General Nick Brown. “Anywhere you are in Washington, you can contact the program via text, app, or phone, and get connected to services you need.”

HearMeWA centers youth in its operations by gathering input from youth on program features. Over the past year, the HearMeWA team conducted 249 virtual and in-person meetings and presentations to raise awareness about HearMeWA and gather community input. The HearMeWA team facilitates the Youth Advisory Group (YAG), a youth-centered group that meets quarterly to provide feedback on the program. The YAG consists of 25 members aged 13 to 24 from 17 Washington counties. These youth represent a variety of demographics, including LGBTQIA2S+, rural, urban, low-income, Black, Indigenous, and youth of color, experience in foster care, immigrants, houseless/unsheltered youth, and neurodivergent youth. The group focuses on numerous aspects of HearMeWA, including branding, marketing and advertising, program outreach and engagement, program data, and communications.

“HearMeWA is vital for the youth throughout Washington. It is extremely accessible to youth from wherever they are in Washington and provides a discreet method of receiving help – which is often a barrier for youth,” said Cheri H., a member of the Youth Advisory Group. “HearMeWA also helps educate youth about resources that are often unheard of. The youth need a program like HearMeWA that works for them and supports them.”

“As the Chair of the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work group, we are looking everywhere for solutions to the youth mental health crisis,” said Rep. Lisa Callan, D-Issaquah. “The HearMeWA program offers young people an easily accessible place to turn for support. I am encouraged to hear that the program reached so many youth in its first year of operation, and I look forward to working with the Attorney General’s Office, schools, community organizations, and others to continue to get the word out about this great resource.”

The 2025 HearMeWA Report, which is also the third annual report for the project, is available here. The first two reports detailed the efforts and activities involved in building the program prior to launching in April 2024.

For questions regarding this report or the HearMeWA program, please contact the HearMeWA team at InfoHearMeWA@atg.wa.gov.

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