May is Mental Health Month and Children’s Mental Health Week is May 3^rd-9^th!

Attention Massachusetts parents and caregivers of children & youth with mental health needs!

The OTHERS Report: Youth Taking Charge!

Click here to read the report!

In the fall of 2001, a group of 10 teens came together to form a youth group.  They called themselves the OTHERS and set out to battle stigma, share their own stories and reach out to other youth.  They blazed their own trail through central Massachusetts and touched everyone who saw and heard them.  Along the way, they became self advocates and leaders. 

Youth involvement is a necessary element in creating a system of care that works.  Everyone benefits from the involvement of youth from parents to policy makers as well as the youth themselves.  The OTHERS not only participated in the system that serves youth and families, they defined their own role in it.

The original group of 10 teens came to include many other youth as the group grew.  The OTHERS knew what it was like to be depressed, to be homeless, to fail in school, to be hospitalized, to lose friends and to be laughed at.  And they told us how they had survived it.  And they challenged us all to listen to their wisdom and partner with them.

A youth guided approach means youth have a sustainable voice and a decision-making role.  It is essential that we listen to youth to hear their insights and solutions.  Their perspective is unique, moving and often humorous. After all, youth-guided also means the work should be fun and worthwhile.

PAL has updated its Police Pocket Guide and has developed a Training for Law Enforcement Officers, Legal Professionals, and other First Responders. 

Background Information on the Guide

In 2001, we created our widely successful Police Pocket Guide, which is a practical guide for police and other first responders on responding to youth with mental health needs.  It includes information on various mental health disorders and medications, specific tips and tools on working with this population and their families, and national and state resources.  Prior feedback indicated that the original guide was too much information, even though it was helpful.  As a result, when we updated it over the summer, we created two versions.  The abbreviated version is to serve as more of a reference guide, and it is designed to fit in your pocket.  The other is the full, updated version that is geared towards people that want more detailed information.

To download the abbreviated version, click here. 

To download the full version, click here.

Background Information on the Training

Have you ever been in a challenging situation with a youth with mental health needs?  This training is based off of our highly successful Police Pocket Guide, and it is designed to give law enforcement officers, legal professionals, and other first responders concrete and specific tools, techniques, and resources on responding to and working with youth with mental health needs and their families. 

We can bring this training to you!  Contact Stephany Melton, Education and Communications Coordinator, at 617-542-7860 x202 or smelton@ppal.net for more information.  We are here to work with you to make your job easier!

Both the update and training were made possible through support from the Boston Foundation and the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership (MBHP).

“Medications and Choices: The Perspective of Families and Youth” is a ground breaking, family-driven study of the decision making process families go through when they choose to use psychotropic medication to treat their child’s mental health needs.  Survey data from 274 parents and more than 80 youth document many common experiences such as a search for reliable information, trials of alternative treatments and concerns about financial costs.  

Over the past several years, there has been a great deal of heated discussion about the rising use of psychiatric medications to treat children and adolescents.  Media coverage has produced mixed reactions in many parents, who have felt their experiences were not accurately portrayed.  Although each family’s experience is unique, many common elements and key values emerged in this study. Most strikingly, parents feel caught between their own experience of the effectiveness of medication and their concerns that medications may be stigmatizing or risky.

To read the full report, click here

PAL is the Statewide Organization of the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health.

PAL is an organization of more than 4,000 Massachusetts families and professionals who advocate on behalf of children with emotional, behavioral and mental health needs and their families. PAL advocates for supports, treatments and policies that enable families to live in their communities in an environment of stability and respect.

PAL provides support, training and technical assistance to a large network of PAL family support specialists. They, in turn, provide support, information and advocacy resources to thousands of families across Massachusetts. As the state organization of the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, PAL is positioned to use its resources to support families so that they can then draw from their experiences to impact others locally, regionally and across the state.

At PAL, our four-pronged approach of support, information and referral, training and advocacy increases the ability of many families

• to access treatments, services and supports for their children and themselves
• to exchange information on services, education, legal and policy issues and
• to advocate for their children both on an individual basis and in public forums.

We celebrate the strengths of our families and provide the "connectedness" that is often lacking between families experiencing similar situations.

Emotional, behavioral and mental health needs cut across all income, education, racial, ethnic and religious groups. They are found among single parent and two-parent families and in birth, adoptive and foster homes.

Families may face many challenges. The absence of appropriate care and treatment may prevent many from participating in a range of activities, resulting in isolation from friends and relatives. Often they must learn to cope with the difficult and demanding behaviors of their children and may face staggering costs for special treatment, education or other services.

Families also have many strengths. Numerous families have learned to manage their circumstances very well and have a repertoire of support networks and strategies they can share with others. They also have a unique view of the strengths and weaknesses of the service system.

A wide range of therapeutic, educational and support services are essential to address the needs of these children and their families. Many children and adolescents receive services from their schools, through their insurance and from mental health professionals. Others may obtain services from state agencies including the Department of Social Services, the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Youth Services and the Department of Public Health. A significant number may receive services through the juvenile courts.

Mental health needs can be identified and treated. As children and adolescents grow up, access to supports and services can lead to successes and positive results. Early identification and effective treatment can make a major difference in the lives of children and adolescents and help them reach their full potential.