Lindsey Phillips is not unfamiliar with the affects mental health struggles can have on families.
As the director of external affairs for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, she knows how difficult it can be to not only recognize that intervention may be necessary—whether it’s for a child who may be continuously acting out or a teenager who is suddenly full of angst—but also how difficult it can be to actually ask for, and receive, the help that may be needed. It’s a trying tight-rope to walk, and it’s not easy in a world where mental health is often put on the back-burner.
As a result, dealing with mental health struggles can feel frustrating, isolating and overwhelming for everyone involved.
But Phillips also knows that no one has to go through these mental health struggles alone.
“Through our experience supporting children with autism and children with mental health challenges, or both, we have seen firsthand the toll that takes on the entire family,” she says. “Parents come to us overwhelmed—they are worried about the safety of their child. They are worried about the safety and emotional health of their other children in their home.
“Sometimes they are missing work to care for their…
