Association for Children's Mental Health

I attend a bi-monthly support group. I am raising a grandchild that is bipolar and has aspergers syndrome amongst a number of other various disabilities. I can not begin to tell you how much this has helped myself and my family.

Well, it all started with my son Jaruad and his behavior in school. I got a call home everyday from his teacher and others. I started seening a change in him after his father and broke-up. Jaruad started talking back to me and fighting his sister. Jaruad and my mother got into confrontation. Jaruad tried to set the bathroom on fire. I just so, happened to go to a meeting with my sister and a lady was talking about mental health and different service. I explsin to her how Jaruad get up all the time out of his seat at school and he was falling in his grade and my youngest daughter was having the same issues. The advocate gave me her number and I said, I was going to call her but, than I thought to myself hey, I'm not going there...that's for crazy people and my child is not crazy so, I prolomg going and the problems got worst. I called her up about a month later and she help me get service for my son and daughter. I didn't want anybody to know I was receiving service from mental health so I asked for them to meet me some where else other than my house or me coming there. My son Jaruad had to be locked up a year later because he wanted to kill himself and someone else and life started with me having to really advocate for my son. If it wasn't for ACMH advocate I think I would have went crazy...not only did I get help for my son and daughter I also received service for my depression. All of this made me see that it's okay to ask for help. I could have never did this along and I with the help of ACMH I would have been lost and those old fears of the Mental Health Department would have still been in my head and I would have not gotten help for my family. And to share something else personal. My mother needed the help back in 1983 with my brother and he wanted to kill himself because my mother let him repeat the 3rd grade and 7 years later my brother went to juvenile and after that he went to prison. But, the point of the story is that my brother needed help and my mother back than didn't know how to ask for help. Deon (brother) when he went to see the mental health worker at the juvenile center the assessment stated that he had a IQ of a 3rd grader...Deon stopped learning in the 3rd grade and he started getting into trouble and hanging with the wrong crowd. I'm glad this service is available now for family.

In 1999 after my son was diagnosed with a mental illness I became involved with ACMH. The staff provided me with education on my son's illness and the rights we had with the services being provided. The staff also encouraged me when times were tuff and celebrated with me during the good times. Someone was always available when support was needed. Resources were also given to me for my area that helped my family through the process of mental illness.

As a School Social Worker, I have participated in many planning and placement meetings on behalf of students with educational disabilities. On several ocassions I have colllaborated with family advocates from the Association For Children's Mental Health during these meetings. The professionalism and advocacy demonstrated by the staff of this association did make a significant difference in the eventual outcome of services msde available to students. Providing a service of this nature is invaluable to parents who otherwise may be intimidated by the school bureaucracy and give in to offers of service less than what would be needed to meet the student needs.

I am the parent of two children with Mental Health challenges. My oldest son is now an adult and my youngest son is a high school student. Our journey began when our oldest son was four years old. I began to notice that something was different. He didn't react to situations that same as other children his age. He had anger outburst and seemed to never sleep, he was impulsive and "had no fear". We tried enrolling him in pre-school thinking he needed peer interaction. (After all, I was an elementary school teacher at the time and should know what to do.) Pre-school was an up hill battle with the school calling me on a daily basis to pick him up early due to his behaviors. By the time he entered Kindergarten he had been removed from the school bus and was out of school more that he was in due to his disruptive behaviors. The doctor put him a Ritalin and diagnosed him with ADHD. That helped for a while. In the 3rd grade we again had a bumpy school year. This time we sent to a Phychologist and were giving an official diagnosis of ADHD and sent on our way. More medications...more disruptive behaviors...more chaos is our lives. During the 4th grade we were giving a referal to CMH and did the intake process. For the first time we had help!!! A therapist came out to the house once a week and after a few months we noticed a marked improvement! Then came middle school...and another bumpy ride. At this time my family and I made a difficult decission and I became a stay at home Mom. I was getting called from the school daily to pick him up early due to his disruptive behaviors, anger outburst and refusal to cooperate. Once again we were involved with CMH and had a therapist at the house on a weekly basis. During this time the therapist mentioned ACMH and new pilot program, IMPACT. ACMH had a job posting for Family Advocates and the therapist felt I could help families going through the same the journey. After much discussion, my family and I thought the time was right and maybe, just maybe our journey could help others. Five years later I am still employed with ACMH and my children have benefited so much along the way also. My son will be graduating from high school this month...something many teachers told us along the way would never happen. My youngest son is very involved in ACMH. He belongs to the youth group and attends many youth events thoughout the year. He has gained a knowledge of how to share his story and help others in their journey. I don't know where we would be today without the help we have recieved. ACMH is a wonderful place to be...and wonderful experience on an awesome journey. ACMH has given my family the courage to keep trying and keep going.

I needed to have my child's school to make accommodations in the classroom for her ADHD. An ACMH advocate was very helpful letting me know how the process is supposed to work and giving me suggestions on how do deal with the school in a positive and proactive way.