Teen takes steps toward mental health recovery with support from Mary Bridge Children’s, encourages others to seek help
In 2022, nearly 1,500 kids came to the Mary Bridge Children’s emergency department (ED) with behavioral health as their chief complaint.
They’re not alone.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in six youth ages 6 to 17 in the U.S. experience a mental health disorder each year.
“It’s quite obvious to me and the people I work with that we’re in the midst of a mental health crisis,” says Sam Shelton, mental health social worker at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. “Historically, a huge stigma around mental health is that people tend to see it as a personal failing or that they’re ‘bad.’ When you have that mindset, it keeps people from reaching out when they need help.”
Thanks to donor and community support, when families do reach out, the Mary Bridge Children’s emergency department is equipped with social workers like Sam, four designated psych rooms for those presenting with behavioral health issues and items such as pop-its, coloring books and weighted blankets to make their stay more comfortable.
“When a child is admitted for a psychological evaluation, for their safety, we take away everything they come with — their phones, clothes, blankets and internet access,” Sam explains. “Having some items that are comforting makes the ED a little more inviting during a typically scary time.”
Refusing to struggle in silence
AJ, 16, will soon be a junior high school. They love going to the beach with their family, they work at a bakery and are even teaching themselves how to sew.
For years, they’ve lived with depression and anxiety. When they began having suicidal ideations, they traveled with their mom to the emergency department at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.
“The feelings come in waves,” AJ explains. “Up and down. This time I knew I needed help. I didn’t want to go at all — I was scared. But once I got there, it felt a little easier. The staff was really nice, and everyone was easy to talk to.”
One person that stood out during this experience was Sam. He worked with AJ and AJ’s mother to open lines of communication and to create a safety plan moving forward.
“Sam did do a good job mediating and left a really great impression,” AJ’s mom, K says. He told bad ‘dad’ jokes that AJ and I laughed about later. But more importantly, he let my child know that seeking help and reaching out to others is possible. And he reminded a very worried mom that my child is a survivor and is capable of working through a rough patch.”
Over the course of AJ’s six-hour stay, the Mary Bridge Children’s team connected them with resources, helping them identify triggers, coping strategies and a provider that they could meet with on a regular basis.
“The work we do is really collaborative,” Sam explains. “Nothing happens in a vacuum — parents, doctors, nurses — we work as a team. I explained that to AJ up front, ‘I’m not just telling you what to do’ — we’re doing this together.”
Seeking help is brave and commendable
“I know that AJ and I don’t have all the answers, or everything figured out yet, but I feel like our stay at Mary Bridge Children’s got us pointed in a better direction, and that’s a first step in the right direction,” K says.
Another step for AJ is using their story to help others and reminding herself that it’s okay to seek help — something Sam helped them realize is brave and commendable.
“I think it’s important in some sense to normalize these feelings and help people understand that they aren’t alone — everyone has their own mental health problems,” AJ says. “Another huge part of this process is actually recognizing that you want to get better, that you want help and then reaching out and receiving it.”
If you or a child you know is struggling with their mental health, visit kidsmentalhealthpiercecounty.org to connect with local resources.
You can support behavioral health programs and services for children and youth in your community with a gift at supportmarybridge.org.