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Are you in Crisis right now? Please click here for some quick advice.
There are a lot of great resources available please take a look at just a few.
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Are you a parent seeking help or advice?
Parents have the most important job in the world one that is even more challenging and difficult when their children make decisions that go against family values and beliefs. He/She might be . . .
- hanging out with a negative peer group
- refusing to help with family responsibilities or comply with household rules
- living a secretive life
- getting involved in drugs
- failing in school
- not caring about himself or anyone else
- changing in personality, attitude, and emotions
- getting involved in reckless and destructive behavior
- threatening to hurt himself or others.
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If any of these issues describe your child, and if you are reading this as a struggling parent in crisis, take heart. Many parents have walked in your shoes and have done better than just survived. More than likely, they relied on the support, advice, and encouragement of others around them. They found out that there are options and alternatives to the crisis. And they realized that any crisis can become a turning point, a fork in the road, and an opportunity for growth.
There is often a cycle to the crisis that teenagers, parents and families experience. The crisis tends to grow, escalate, settle down and resurface in a pattern of increasing emotional, psychological and behavior problems. Brief periods of normalcy are typical in crises involving teenagers. It is during these times that teenagers can become more cautious, reflective or sincerely remorseful. In this case, whether the crisis represents a turning point or not will depend heavily on if the appropriate intervention was found and followed through with.
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Have you considered one of the following methods of intervention for you child/family in crisis?:
- Change in parenting ideals and expectations. Click here for some parenting tips/advice for your child in crisis.
- Support through a local church. If you don't have one, click here.
- Education and training for parents and teenagers: Do some research on parenting helps and tips, attend parenting class through your community mental health center, buy/research some of our recommended books and internet links.
- Individual and/or family counseling and therapy. If you do not know of a counselor who may help you, the following websites may be able to help you in your situation:
- Psychiatric hospitalization and diagnostics.
- Change in schools
- Discussion with your family doctor about possible medical intervention (medication, etc.)
- Outdoor adventure or wilderness therapy programs
- Move to a new area
- Respite care: ask family members or family friends to help you so you can take a break. If you are in immediate help and are fearful that you may either hurt your child or you child will hurt you, please call your local youth shelter. If they have a bed they may be able to offer you up to two weeks of respite while you get the pieces put back together.
- Day treatment program
- Residential treatment program
- Police or law enforcement response
- If you decide that residential placement for your child is the best option, please click here for information about admissions and how to contact our intake coordinator.
Please understand that we do not encourage you to pursue placement as your first option to family crisis. We also are not equipped to provide emergency placement for families in crisis. You may also want to check out our criteria for placement.
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