Difficulty finding help for teens and young adults facing a mental health crisis

A Bettendorf mother told Local Four News, she’s working to help kids in crisis out of trouble. 

Christine Schmidt’s daughter Morgan lost her life to suicide four years ago.

She was 12-years-old at the time.

Schmidt told us she responded to a Facebook post from a Quad Cities teenager earlier this week.

She said the content worried her as the young adult made statements indicating a crisis.

It prompted her to reach out.

She has become an advocate for suicide prevention, who knows it is hard to know who and where to turn to for help.

Morgan’s mom Christine Schmidt said, “Was a very vague statement, although it was I felt quite loaded with intent.”

Christine Schmidt told Local Four News, she and others were able to find the services to keep words from turning into action.

With calls to family and friends, the school and even police.

But she said more need to be done.

Schmidt said, “Kids are suffering every day and sometimes it’s the child right next door.”

Schmidt said what she sees is too few places that can provide an instantaneous response.

“What I have realized over the last four years is I’ve come across a number of situations where there’s a child or a teen or a young adult who has needed immediate resources, so when someone is suicidal, that question comes up. What do they do, where do they go and how do they find that immediate help, and in my experiences and opinion, it’s very difficult to find those immediate services,” said Schmidt.

Often one of the only available places is the hospital.

Schmidt said, “Very difficult to find those immediate resources other than the emergency rooms and sometimes when you attend the emergency room, if you are medically stable, this is no reason for you to be there.”

One of her big asks is providers to increase awareness.

Schmidt said, “Make their services known to the general public.”

At Youth Service Bureau, they also said there’s a need for more awareness about area resources.

YSB Executive Director Lori Luna said, “We understand in the time of a crisis access to service is very important.”

She added, “I think awareness is huge. It’s something we don’t want to talk a whole lot about. I think we’re getting better as a community talking about mental health and youth but just knowing what services are out there and who to access and who to talk to if you need a counselor. Going to the school counselor and saying I can refer you on to somebody like Youth Service Bureau.”

YSB Executive Director Lori Luna says when a client is referred to them by a parent, teacher or school, or even a child seeking help, a counselor sits down with them in less than a week.

Luna said, “We meet with the child and we encourage parent involvement. That’s a big part of the counseling process if that’s necessary. We do an assessment and develop goals and a treatment plan to work toward those goals, to address issues of depression or anxiety, life stressors.”

YSB offers two programs that focus on children and teens in Rock Island County.

The first is family counseling services to help the child but also the family and guardian.

They also have a peer justice program serving as a diversion from the courts.

They also work in the high schools in Rock Island County, where they get a lot of the referrals for their services. 

“Kids are facing a lot today. We’ve seen a increase in just having access to information. Social media plays a big role and everybody knows everything about everybody and whats going on. I think we have a lot of pressure on our teens today that they may not be equipped to deal with,” said Luna

For Schmidt, when a teen or someone reaches out for help, it means acting before it becomes too late.

Schmidt said, “It takes a village. We hear that all the time and it absolutely does and I’m not afraid to do it if it means saving a kid’s life.”

Schmidt also said she would like to see more discussion about the signs of a crisis, resources and what more can be done to expand services. More importantly, when someone reaches out to not turn away.

“I wish my daughter would have reached out like that. We didn’t have that same experience but I think when we see this post or we hear the text messages or someone talking about it, people say they’re asking for attention, yes they are asking for attention, they’re asking for help in the way that they know how and if we are witness to it, it’s our responsibility to take care of each other,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt said when she comes across a young adult in crisis, she tries to contact the person in need but also their family or guardian, school and police.

And for the teen in need she was able to help, she said working together, they found resources and services.

Schmidt said, “For them [YSB] to be able to step in, to advocate and really look at whether or not there are services for the family available. Counseling services certainly for this person and the next steps. What to do from here.”

YSB accepts clients no matter their ability to pay using grants and program to help cover the expense of the service. 

November 1, YSB will be moving to a new location at 2610 41st Street in Moline. It’s near the Moline High School.