In a crisis situation
At the emergency room, a crisis assessment of your child's situation
will be made. The health care professional will complete a comprehensive
assessment and will then make a recommendation about which next steps would
be most helpful for your child. When a health care professional makes a
recommendation about the services your child should receive, be sure to
ask why this particular recommendation is being made. How will it
help your child?
Getting an advocate
Every child's situation is different, and the kind of emergency services
and intensive services available vary greatly. You probably won't be able
to anticipate all of the complex issues and/or questions raised by your
child's situation. However, an advocate with expertise in children's mental
health services can help you figure out what to do.
If you are able to locate an ally and/or advocate who can guide you and
your child through the process, you will probably have an easier time understanding
what services are best for your child. PAL is a resource if you are
trying to locate an advocate. PAL can be reached at 1-800-537-0446.
If available, the counselor working with you and/or your child may also
be a useful partner in this situation.
In a non-crisis situation
You will probably need to work as a team with your child's counselor,
school, and/or primary care physician. The insurance companies and/or state
agencies you contact will have to ask a lot of questions in order to determine
what kind of services your child needs.
Confidentiality
While a counselor or mental health professional is
bound to keep information confidential, in situations where someone is at
risk of huring themsleves or someone else, the counselor is required by law
to share this information with the appropriate people in order to keep the
person safe.
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