Economics
The Long and Winding Road to Mental Health Care for Your Kid
For several months last spring and summer, my teen daughter, Caroline, experienced near-daily bouts of depression and debilitating panic attacks. During those episodes, she became extremely agitated, sobbing uncontrollably and aggressively rebuffing my attempts to comfort or reason with her.
My daughter was in a dark place, and I was worried.
But I have excellent health insurance, and I thought that would help me find a good therapist.
I dutifully dialed everyone on my health plan’s list. Some of them even called me back — only to say they weren’t taking new patients, or couldn’t see Caroline for three months, or didn’t have the training to match her symptoms.
I ultimately found a great therapist who isn’t in my health plan’s network — and after many months of weekly sessions, Caroline is doing much better.
I’m luckier than most parents, because my health plan covers a significant portion of Caroline’s out-of-network therapy. I pay only $45 per session, while some parents shell out north of $200 every week.
Think about how perverse this is. Mental health professionals say that with children, early intervention is crucial to avoid more severe and costly problems later on. Yet even parents with good insurance struggle to find care for their children.
The U.S. faces a growing shortage of mental health professionals trained to work with young people — at a time when depression and anxiety are on the rise. Suicide was the No. 2 cause of death for children and young adults from age 10 to 24 in 2017, after accidents.
There is only one practicing child and adolescent psychiatrist in the U.S. for about every 1,800 children who need one, according to data from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Not only is it hard to get appointments with psychiatrists and therapists, but the ones who are available often don’t accept insurance.
“This country currently lacks the capacity to provide the mental health support that young people need,” says Dr. Steven Adelsheim, director of the Stanford University psychiatry department’s Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Alison Bloeser, of Seal Beach, Calif., has struggled for nearly a decade to find effective care for her now 15-year old son’s obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD. In that time, Bloeser says, she has taken him to more than 20 therapists and had him on medication — spending more than $20,000 along the way.
“We have a growing number of young people in this country crying out for help at a young age,” Bloeser says. “Why are we not addressing that full force?”
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution because people’s financial and personal situations vary widely.
So let me begin with tips for all parents, even those with skimpy insurance or none at all. A good place to start is the pediatrician’s office — whether it’s a private practice or a low-cost community clinic.
“When your children reach adolescence, you should be asking their pediatricians to screen for both anxiety and depression,” advises Dr. Bhavana Arora, chief medical officer of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Health Network.
If your finances are constrained, try a community health clinic that offers mental health services regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
For instance, Los Angeles-based AltaMed (www.altamed.org) has 12 clinics in L.A. and Orange counties where children and teens with mild to moderate mental health disorders can get short-term therapy. Medi-Cal picks up the tab for most of those kids. For kids not on Medi-Cal, the clinics charge on a sliding scale.
One way to find a community clinic near you is to search https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/.
Your child’s school is another place to seek help.
Faith-based organizations are increasingly engaged in mental health care. Saddleback Church, with numerous locations around Southern California, offers support groups and counseling. Jewish Family Service agencies nationwide provide counseling on a sliding scale. Muslims can try the Khalil Center, which has branches in Chicago, L.A., the San Francisco Bay Area, New York and Toronto.
If you, like me, have insurance and find a good therapist who is not in your network, try to make it work — if you can possibly afford it.
Start by checking whether you have coverage for out-of-network providers. If not, or if it’s not enough, ask if your health plan is willing to treat the therapist as an in-network provider just for your child — an arrangement known as a single-case agreement.
The therapist likely will have to agree to a lower payment.
For many parents, the most productive thing is meeting others who are experiencing similar problems.
If you need help and peer support, check with the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It offers a six-week course, “NAMI Basics,” which educates parents and puts them in touch with others in the same boat. Go to www.nami.org to find the chapter in your area.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
Council of Islamic Relations Applauds Alameda County Decision to Divest $32M from Caterpillar
The divestment from Caterpillar, a company criticized for its human rights abuses globally—including the destruction of Palestinian homes, infrastructure, and agriculture, as well as in the U.S. prison-industrial complex, border militarization, and immigration detention centers—is a significant step in ensuring that Alameda County’s financial resources do not perpetuate harm.
Special to The Post
The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, this week welcomed the Alameda County Board of Supervisors’ decision to divest $32 million in public funds from Caterpillar and unanimously commit to adopting an ethical investment policy.
The Board’s decision follows months of advocacy by Bay Area Divest!, a coalition of community organizations calling for accountability in public investments.
The divestment from Caterpillar, a company criticized for its human rights abuses globally—including the destruction of Palestinian homes, infrastructure, and agriculture, as well as in the U.S. prison-industrial complex, border militarization, and immigration detention centers—is a significant step in ensuring that Alameda County’s financial resources do not perpetuate harm.
In November, CAIR welcomed the reported freeze on the delivery of bulldozers to Israel as an “implicit admission” by the Biden Administration that the far-right Netanyahu government is using that equipment in the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.
CAIR-SFBA Policy Coordinator Musa Tariq said:
“This is a historic moment for Alameda County, demonstrating the power of community advocacy and the County’s leadership in ethical governance. The decision to divest from Caterpillar sends a clear message that public funds should not support corporations complicit in human rights violations.”
In addition to divesting from Caterpillar, the Board voted to move forward with developing a comprehensive Ethical Investment Policy, recommended by District 5 Supervisor Keith Carson.
This policy will include criteria to exclude “investments in industries, corporations, or governments that perpetuate harm to communities and the planet,” such as fossil fuel extraction, weapons production, and entities involved in war crimes, apartheid, and other severe human rights violations.
Alameda County has a proud legacy of socially responsible investment. In 1985, the County divested from South Africa to protest apartheid, and in 1996, it barred investments in companies doing business with Burma due to human rights abuses.
“This forward-thinking policy positions Alameda County as a leader in socially responsible investing,” added Tariq. “By committing to craft the policy within 90 days and implement it within six months, the County has set an ambitious and commendable timeline.”
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of December 11 – 17, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 11 – 17, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
-
California Black Media4 weeks ago
California to Offer $43.7 Million in Federal Grants to Combat Hate Crimes
-
Black History4 weeks ago
Emeline King: A Trailblazer in the Automotive Industry
-
California Black Media4 weeks ago
Gov. Newsom Goes to Washington to Advocate for California Priorities
-
California Black Media4 weeks ago
California Department of Aging Offers Free Resources for Family Caregivers in November
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of November 27 – December 3, 2024
-
Activism4 weeks ago
OCCUR Hosts “Faith Forward” Conference in Oakland
-
Activism4 weeks ago
Richmond Seniors Still Having a Ball After 25 Years
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Butler, Lee Celebrate Passage of Bill to Honor Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm with Congressional Gold Medal