The resources below provide some starting points for accessing help and include some national hotlines and websites. Other helpful places to find local resources include your pediatrician, your school, local hospitals, community centers, and faith organizations. Whyville's Wellness Center does not provide diagnoses, clinical assessment, or treatment services. Information and coping strategies available on this site are for educational purposes only. If you have concerns about your mental health, we encourage you to speak with a licensed treatment provider.

• FIRST STEPS FOR GETTING HELP
• TYPES OF MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS
• ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• Information about different mental health topics (see the Wellness Center circular bookshelf for a list of tip sheets)
• Websites and phone numbers to access resources for mental health needs, including crisis hotlines for teens

Note: Whyville's Wellness Center does not endorse or recommend any third party commercial products or services. The Wellness Center is not responsible for, and disclaims all liability for damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the site. The following is a list of resources for you to look through and consider. We have provided links to information about specific mental illnesses, treatment resources, and general mental health information.

FIRST STEPS FOR GETTING HELP

If a child has behavioral or emotional problems, they may appear at home or they may surface in other settings, such as school or within the general community. It is important to identify a mental health concern early, so that the child can receive proper care if he or she needs it.

First, it is important to recognize whether an ongoing problem exists that is affecting the child's life. Keep notes about when specific behaviors occur. Try to answer the following questions as best you can:

• Is the child's behavior similar to the behavior of other children in his or her age group?
• How often does the child behave in a way that troubles you?
• How severe or extreme does the child's behavior seem to you?
• How long does each episode of the troubling behavior last?
• Where does the child's troubling behavior occur?

Parents are sometimes reluctant to contact a mental health professional when they suspect their child may have a mental health issue. They may worry about what other people will think about them or their child, or they may worry that they will have difficulty understanding the mental health professional's recommendations. Many also worry that they will lose control over their child's treatment and/or that the treatment will be very expensive. These concerns are very real, but mental health professionals work very hard to minimize any possible issues, and always welcome a parent's questions and involvement in their child's treatment.

If you believe a problem does exist, you need to know how and where to find professional help. The initial contact should usually be with the child's pediatrician.

The next contact should be someone at the child's school. It could be an administrator, a teacher, or a mental health professional. It is important to remember that if a child has a mental health issue, a variety of people will work together as a team to provide help. The team approach allows the people working with a child to collect and discuss the widest possible variety of important information. This approach is also a way of providing a child with as many services as possible. The team approach also gives parents an opportunity to hear different points of view, learn more about their child's situation and gain a better understanding of other mental health services and options available.

In addition, the following resources may be helpful:

Consider which type of mental health provider would be the best match for your child. Each mental health profession (e.g. social work, psychiatry, psychology) has its own areas of specialization and its own approach toward mental health. Only certain types of providers can prescribe medication or conduct psychological testing. See below for the list of the types of mental health providers with descriptions of their roles.

Contact the mental health provider you are considering. You will most likely be asked to explain the concerns that you have about your child and then you will have an opportunity to ask questions of the provider. Below are some suggested questions to pose during your initial conversation.

Background

• What is your degree and license/certification?
• What kind of training do you have?
• How long have you been in practice?
• Do you have expertise in treating the kind of problem that my child is experiencing?
• Are there other areas in which you specialize?
• What is your treatment philosophy?
• What are your core values as a practitioner?

Treatment

• What is your approach toward treatment?
• What kind of techniques do you incorporate into sessions?
• Do you give children "homework" to complete between sessions?
• Do you usually work with the child alone or do you conduct family sessions as well?
• How much parent involvement is needed?
• How often do you check in parents about the course of treatment?
• What is your policy regarding confidentiality?
• What if my child tells you something that sounds risky or dangerous?
• How long does a typical session last?
• How many sessions might be expected overall?
• In the event of a clinical emergency, would you be available? If not, whom would we call?

Psychotropic Medication and Psychological Testing

• What is your opinion on the use of medication in treatment?
• If you did suggest medication for my child, who would prescribe/monitor this?
• Do you administer psychological testing? If not, would you be able to refer me to the appropriate professionals?

Communication with Other Professionals

• Will you be in contact with the staff at my child's school? If so, will you be attending school meetings?
• What about other professionals my child sees? For example, will you be in contact with his pediatrician? With his probation officer?
• What is your policy regarding shared information?

Payment

• Do you accept insurance? If so, which plans?
• If not, how does your payment system work? For example, do you charge a set rate or do you offer sliding scale fees based on income?
• Do rates differ for individual versus family treatment?
• Is there a charge for phone consultations while in treatment?
• What is the payment policy if I have to cancel an appointment?

After this initial conversation, ask yourself the following questions:

• Did you feel a sense of rapport with this person?
• Did you feel safe and at ease?
• Did you think this person would be a good match for your child?
• Did you understand how treatment is conducted?
• Did you understand how payment works?
• Are there other questions you want to ask before making a decision?

TYPES OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

The following are descriptions of the types of clinicians who most commonly treat mental health issues in children and adolescents.

Pediatricians (M.D.) are medical doctors who provide health care to children and adolescents. Since they have regular contact with families, they can often be helpful in consulting about mental health issues and determining the next steps. They can also prescribe psychotropic medication. However, it is not usually their role to provide extensive mental health services; they will most likely refer families to one of the professionals listed below. (NB: Pediatric nurse practitioners may also perform the services just described.)

Child Psychiatrists (M.D.) are medical doctors who are specifically trained in diagnosing psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents and prescribing psychotropic medication. Typically, the child psychiatrist first evaluates the child and determines which medication would be most useful. In subsequent visits, he or she checks in with the family to find out how effective the medication has been and whether the dosage is appropriate. Most child psychiatrists do not provide therapeutic counseling to their patients, although some do offer this option. (NB: Child psychiatric clinical nurse specialists may also perform the services just described.)

Child Neurologists (M.D.) are medical doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of problems of the nervous system in children and adolescents. If teachers or parents suspect that a child might have a neurological condition that impacts learning and behavior, the child will most likely be referred to a child neurologist for an evaluation. Child neurologists can prescribe medication.

Clinical Social Workers (LCSW, LICSW) are licensed mental health clinicians who provide a range of strengths-based therapeutic services to children, adolescents, and their families. They are trained to assess the child in the context of his or her environment (e.g. cultural background, family situation, current stressors, etc.) and to work collaboratively with the people who are most influential in the child's life.

Mental Health Counselors (LMHC) are licensed clinicians who provide individual, family, and group counseling. Like Clinical Social Workers, they are trained in a variety of methods and they practice from a strengths-based perspective. They may also specialize in a particular clinical area, such as substance abuse or eating disorders.

Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) are licensed clinicians whose training is focused on working with couples and families. They assess a family's dynamics and patterns and help the family members learn to improve their interactions. Treatment is typically solution-focused, meaning that the therapist and the family identify goals to work on together.

Child Psychologists (Ph.D., Psy.D., Ed.D.) are doctoral-level clinicians who are trained in diagnosing and treating psychological disorders in children and adolescents. They work with children and families to address symptoms and improve functioning. They may also have expertise in conducting cognitive, academic, developmental, or personality testing.

School Psychologists are certified professionals who are trained in diagnostic testing and in individual and group therapy. School Psychologists often assess whether students are eligible for supportive services within the school. When a student is identified by teachers and parents as having psychological or behavioral issues that could impact learning, the school psychologist evaluates the student to determine if he or she meets qualifications to receive special education. School psychologists may also serve as consultants to other school staff regarding mental health issues.

School Counselors are certified professionals who provide various kinds of support to students in the school. They are often available to students on a drop-in basis to deal with specific crises and they may also meet with students on a regular basis (individually or in groups) to address ongoing concerns. In many schools, it is also the role of the counselor to advise students on course selection and assist them in career planning and college applications.

School Social Workers are certified professionals who are based in the school to handle mental health concerns. Like school counselors, they generally provide both crisis intervention and ongoing individual and group therapy. They may also collaborate with teachers to offer classroom instruction about issues such as bullying or self-injury. However, it is not normally their role to manage students' schedules.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR ADULTS

• Working with Your Child's Pediatrician
  http://interface.williamjames.edu/guides/pediatrician

  When you have concerns about your child's mental health, turning to a trusted professional can be supportive and helpful. Pediatricians or other health care providers know your child and family well, and could be important allies in finding guidance and resources around mental health assessment and treatment. The following document may be helpful for you if you are concerned about your child's mental health. It provides information regarding what expectations you might have from your pediatrician when talking about your child's mental health, as well as how to establish successful working relationships with such important figures in your child's mental life.

• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry http://www.aacap.org/
• An excellent general introduction to mental health care for children: The Parents' How-to Guide to Children's Mental Health Services in Massachusetts.
  http://www.bostonbarlawyer.org/content/boston-bar-assocation-releases-new-edition-childrens-mental-health-guide

• IMAlive.org: an online crisis network

  IMAlive is a free, confidential and secure online chat service that provides live help to people in crisis. All chats are answered by trained volunteers, all of whom use the pseudonym Alex.

Disclaimer: Material in Whyville's Wellness Center is intended as general information. It is not a recommendation for treatment, nor should it be considered medical or mental health advice. Whyville's Wellness Center urges families to discuss all information and questions related to medical or mental health care with a health care professional.