How to Locate a Professional to Help Your Depressed Child

There are different ways to locate a professional to help your child. Probably the best way is by word of mouth through family and friends or others such as teachers or members of church or community organizations. If you are comfortable asking those you know for some names, it can never hurt to give them a call and check out their recommendations. You may also wish to consult your phone book or use the Internet as long as the Internet sites are reputable and affiliated with recognized professional groups. I recommend the website of the American Medical Association (www.assn.org) to help you locate a child and adolescent psychiatrist and the website of the American fcychological Association (www.apa.org) to find a child and adolescent psychologist.

You may also wish to contact your family doctor or a public health nurse who could recommend a mental health professional. Additionally, a crisis line, especially one for teens, or any major mental health center in your area, should be able to provide names of individuals and services to meet your teen's and family's needs.

You may personally know a child and adolescent mental health professional who could give you ideas about services for you and/or your teen. You may be tempted to ask this professional to see your child. We strongly advise against this for several rea­sons. First, it often becomes awkward for you, your teen, and the professional to re­spect the need for privacy and confidentiality. You may want to get more details about your teen's therapy, and, because you know the professional, feel more comfortable asking for it. The professional may want to share more details than she might otherwise do since she knows you. As a result, your teen may hesitate to share his feelings with the professional because he fears she may tell you or judge him. Maintaining profes­sional boundaries is important to the success of any therapy, and in these cases, there is more opportunity to break those rules, ending in dissatisfaction for all.

How Can You Prepare For The Assessment?

When you make the first call to the professional/agency don't be shy about asking qestions. You have every right to know the professional's qualifications, as well as the type of therapy that she provides. Ask her what the research says about her therapy approach. Ask if she provides both assessment and treatment. You may wish to know how long therapy typically lasts. You should feel comfortable that your questions are answered. If you ask about wait lists, don't be surprised if the wait list is over six months for a first-time assessment. Wait lists can be long, and if you ever feel that your teen is deteriorating or needs immediate assistance, don't hesitate to take him to the Emergency Room of your local hospital.

Often parents worry that they will be judged by professionals when they seek help for mental health is­sues. Mental health care profession­als are there to support families, not judge and blame them. They are there to help design a treatment plan that takes all the pieces into consid­eration. Teens and parents should feel comfortable asking questions. We hear many kinds of questions from parents and teens, such as those listed in the sidebar at left.

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No question is silly. If your mental health professional does not ask you if you have questions, don't be shy about sharing your list with her! If the therapist tells you that she does a "different type" of therapy, or that it takes a long time before you will see progress, or that it is a new therapy that no one in the area offers, get more information! These are red flags! And always ask for explanations if you do not understand something.

Common Questions Parents Ask

• Can you help us?

• Is my child's problem treatable?

• What is the diagnosis?

• Do we need more testing?

• Should my child get treatment?

• Is it my fault?

• Should I get treatment?

• What are your recommendations?

• How long is treatment and how much will it cost?

• Can you recommend some books to read?

• What happens next?

• What is your cancellation policy?



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