Broadlawns Medical Center’s Post

I’m angry. I recently learned about 28 children in a local hospital emergency department—each in urgent need of psychiatric care—and the hospital only had 14 beds available. So what did this look like? Fourteen children were in the hallway, waiting. Some for hours, others for days and at least one child that should have been held on a mandatory 72hr hold for self-injurious behavior and suicidal ideation was discharged home. This isn’t just a story about a single hospital; it’s a disturbing reflection of a system that’s failing our kids and its not okay. How is it that in 2024, we still haven’t created adequate mental health resources for children? Families are being stretched to their limits, waiting for weeks or even months for help, while their children’s needs only intensify. This system is broken, and the impact on our children is heartbreaking. As a parent and professional, I’m outraged. But more than that, I’m driven. Through my work at Resilient Parent Consulting, I’m helping families take back some control, offering mental health support to parents of children with medical diagnoses. You shouldn’t have to wait for the system to catch up. Let’s demand better. And in the meantime, I’m here to help. #FixTheSystem #MentalHealthCrisis #OurKidsDeserveMore #ParentSupport #ResilientParenting

I’m angry. I recently learned about 28 children in a local hospital emergency department—each in urgent need of psychiatric care—and the hospital only had 14 beds available. So what did this look like? Fourteen children were in the hallway, waiting. Some for hours, others for days and at least one child that should have been held on a mandatory 72hr hold for self-injurious behavior and suicidal ideation was discharged home. This isn’t just a story about a single hospital; it’s a disturbing reflection of a system that’s failing our kids and its not okay. How is it that in 2024, we still haven’t created adequate mental health resources for children? Families are being stretched to their limits, waiting for weeks or even months for help, while their children’s needs only intensify. This system is broken, and the impact on our children is heartbreaking. As a parent and professional, I’m outraged. But more than that, I’m driven. Through my work at Resilient Parent Consulting, I’m helping families take back some control, offering mental health support to parents of children with medical diagnoses. You shouldn’t have to wait for the system to catch up. Let’s demand better. And in the meantime, I’m here to help. #FixTheSystem #MentalHealthCrisis #OurKidsDeserveMore #ParentSupport #ResilientParenting

Lucy Tomkins, Family Recovery Coach at The Soke, reminds us that when we care for children, we need to ensure that we're looking after ourselves too. Focused on supporting families dealing with addiction, Lucy's expertise help families to heal, with lasting results. "Children need a safe adult caregiver who can help to co-regulate their nervous system," she explains. "That means we have to deal with our own 'stuff' first, so that we're able to self-soothe and self-regulate our own nervous systems. We won't always get it right and that's fine too, so long as for each rupture in our children, there is a repair. Otherwise, it can lead to trauma." To make an appointment, get in touch. | T: 020 7139 5051 E: reception@thesoke.uk | www.thesoke.uk #Mentalhealth #Mentalhealthmatters #Mentalhealthsupport #Childmentalhealth #Childrensmentalhealth #Childhealth #Adolescentmentalhealth #Paediatrics #Psychology #CAMHS #Parents #Parenting #Parentingadvice #Recovery #Healing

Mental health is a critical concern for everyone. This is especially true for our first responders who face a higher risk of mental health issues. Shockingly, more first responders die by suicide than in the line of duty. Recently, the federal government passed legislation to offer line-of-duty death benefits to the families of first responders who take their own lives. This legislation helps not only the families but also encourages struggling first responders to seek help for their mental health needs. Now, the State of Georgia is considering a similar measure to support their first responders. We are grateful for those who serve and for those who are working to ensure that they are fully supported in their most vulnerable areas of need. Check out the proposed bill below. #mentalhealthawareness #firstresponders #support #georgia

America’s Mental Health Is Worsening. Special Urgent-Care Clinics Step In. Mental-health urgent-care sites are proliferating across the U.S. to treat the spiraling numbers of children and adults who need mental-health care and ease a shortage of therapists that has caused many people to wait months for appointments or go to the nearest emergency room to find help. The sites are starting to change the face of mental-health treatment, offering a much-needed alternative to emergency departments—long the first point of contact for people in mental-health straits—that have become strained by an increase in visits during the pandemic. More than 20 mental-health urgent-care centers have opened in the past year alone from Colorado to Virginia. A letter published in the journal Psychiatric Services in 2021 identified 77 of the clinics across the U.S.

Child Abuse and Neglect: The impact of abuse and neglect on children cannot be overstated. Children who endure physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, as well as neglect, face a heightened risk of vulnerability. These traumatic experiences can have profound and enduring effects on their physical and mental health. Research has consistently demonstrated the detrimental effects of childhood trauma, linking it to a wide array of psychiatric issues in later life. The systemic review of the long-term effects of childhood physical and emotional abuse and neglect suggests a causal relationship with conditions such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, underscoring the urgent need for effective intervention and support systems. As we advocate for the well-being of our children, it's crucial to acknowledge the complex and pervasive impact of abuse and neglect. By prioritizing prevention, early intervention, and comprehensive support, we can work towards creating a society where every child is provided with the safety, security, and nurturing environment they deserve. Let's join forces to ensure that no child is left to face the lasting consequences of trauma alone. #ChildWelfare #MentalHealthAwareness #SafeChildhood

Individuals involved with the criminal legal system (CLS) with substance use disorders (SUDs) are at a higher risk for suicide even with just one night in a criminal justice facility. Collaboration between health care & CLS is crucial to improve outcomes. Learn more about what this means for practitioners and new initiatives led by #NCHATS (The National Center for Health and Justice Integration for Suicide Prevention) a new @National Institute of Mental Health center investigating scalable ways to build information bridges between health systems and CLS. https://bit.ly/3TYUwbw

Twenty-two years ago, the Journal of the Centre for Families, Children & the Courts published an article on effective intervention with high-conflict families, which included points to address to make effective orders for therapeutic intervention. At #thegroundworkslab, we often recommend therapeutic intervention for families facing complex issues in mental health, parenting, family violence, or alcohol and substance use areas, and we're always on the lookout for how to make these recommendations more efficient and effective for families and children. Are the points from this article still relevant for the 2020s? How have expectations for therapeutic intervention orders/recommendations changed or remained the same over the last two decades? Share your insights in the comments below. #familyreports #familylaw #therapeuticfamilylawpractice #familycourt #supportingfamilies #mentalhealth #therapy #parenting #familylawyers

See the article below related to Mental Health in the NICU! As a bonus, it's written by my mom, Jan Riley!!!! Go mom!! #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #NICU #nicunurse #NANN

Join us on Wed 19th June for our next free #ConversationSpace chat, which will explore all things relating to capacity of VCSE services in perinatal mental health, thresholds and gaps across the landscape. We're hearing from lots of VCSEs that there's pressure felt (quite viscerally) across the system due to stretched statutory services, funding challenges & a rise in demand for support. Many of our services are designed to support parents experiencing mild-moderate mental health issues, but we know in reality our reach extends much further and we often find ourselves holding parents with complex needs in our care. Rooted in local communities, VCSEs are often the first port of call for the most vulnerable and marginalised families. This is an opportunity to discuss ethical and practical decisions around referrals, resourcing and thresholds. It's not an easy conversation, which is why we're creating a trusted space with a cap on attendees to enable an honest chat in a safe, welcoming environment. Register here: https://lnkd.in/e9479kAT #perinatalmentalhealth #vcse #integratedhealthsystem #thresholds #capacity