THE bewildering tragedy that claimed 26 lives 20 of them children age six to seven at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn. has once again resuscitated the national conversation on mental illness.
Theories regarding the motivation of 20-year-old shooter Adam Lanza abound, but there is no definitive explanation at this point.
Emerging reports indicate that he was a brilliant, introverted, troubled young man who eluded the radar screen.
Obviously, when something this terrible happens, it brings issues like mental health care to the forefront, says George DelGrosso, executive director and CEO of the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council, which operates 17 community health centers across the state.
There has been a real problem with the availability of services for the mentally ill for a long time. After the nightmare at Sandy Hook, its more visible.
DelGrosso says the mental healthcare system in America is plagued by several woes, starting with the pervasive personal stigma attached to mental illness.
People who are mentally ill run up against tremendous stigmas that encompass the entire family, he says. For instance, if your daughter has appendicitis, you dont hesitate to reach out.
But parents of a mentally ill child fear negative societal fallout, which often questions their own abilities as parents.
Private insurance coverage ranges from negligable to non-existent. Although Medicaid offers good mental health benefits, DelGrosso says the majority of Americans rely on commercial sector insurance, which is woefully inadequate in this area.
Read also Chris Leppek’s “After Newtown: How to respond to children“
Colorado is one of the lowest states in the country in terms of funding mental health services. For people forced to pay out of pocket, the cost can be untenable.
The problem is, once you stabilize the process, you need to provide treatment, DelGrosso adds. Thats why we need to make the best treatment accessible to the public.
Last year, CBHC served over 120,000 people but we still could not meet the needs out there.
THE line between adolescent hormones, natural rebellion and disturbing behavior can appear razor thin to the untrained, anxious parental eye.
However, there are specific steps parents can take to identify serious conditions and, when necessary, intervene.
Parents should pay attention to their children, says Dr. Lynn Rosdal, a clinical psychologist in private practice. Thats number one.
Some parents think they should back off when their kids are in high school. Children have a right to their privacy. Dont hover. But you must be aware of your child.
Even after a child starts to individuate and separate from the parent, the goal is keeping the channels of communication open.
If you are empathetically attuned to your children, they will continue talking to you because they feel safe, Rosdal says. For parents who arent attuned, a child can drift away.
The solution? Start talking to your kids. Spend time with them. Again, I truly believe its about connecting to their feelings. And its never too late to try.
Parents who have solid relationships with their kids are often more sensitive to radical behavioral changes that transcend mere adolescent moodiness.
Red flags include, but are not limited to, withdrawing and isolating, a sudden drop in consistently high grades, a marked change in activities or friends, depression, substance abuse and cutting.
If you sense your child is lonely or disconnected or going in the wrong direction, ask whats going on, Rosdal says. Professional help may be in order.
Offer therapy as a luxury, not a punishment: a chance to talk in a safe space and the sooner, the better.
Two years ago, CBHC instituted mental health first aid courses at its facilities to educate communities and families about various indicators of mental illness.
This course is available at all our centers, DelGrosso says. People are not always knowledgeable when it comes to recognizing signs and symptoms.
Rosdal agrees with DelGrosso that some problems may go unchecked because parents dont want to admit they are less than perfect parents. Thats why its so important to pay attention and react quickly.
Parents are not therapists, DelGrosso says. They are parents first and last. Parents can do everything right and still lose a child to suicide.
Although Rosdal sees patients that can afford to pay for treatment, she is acutely aware that there are plenty who cant. And they are on their own.
Mental illness is part of the human condition, Rosdal says. Our responsibility is to treat it, and by doing so, honor it.
WHILE DelGrosso welcomes the renewed interest in improving mental health services, hes concerned the Sandy Hook killings will inspire unwarranted fear of the mentally ill.
Its crucial to understand that the majority of people with mental illness do not pose a danger to others. We need to make sure that the public doesnt overreact.
As horrible as [Sandy Hook] was and a lot of people in Colorado can tell you what its like to lose someone this way the important thing is engaging in conversations with troubled individuals.
Then get the proper funding in place so that more professionals are available to those who need them.
People are asking tough questions. Whats going on in our society? Why didnt anyone see this coming? How do we prevent this from happening again?
The word evil has been floated in connection with Adam Lanza and others who violently turned schools, movie theaters, mosques and malls into carnage-strewn houses of death.
Rosdal says that attributing these acts to pure evil reflects a lack of psychological sophistication.
People who feel this way dont understand mood disorders, she says. Its a matter of biology.
Yes, these acts are horrific. But lumping them into the category of evil or suggesting that something has taken possession of the person does not explain whats happening medically.
Improving the mental healthcare system will go a long way toward mending confused minds and preventing the sorrow that befell Sandy Hook but the best efforts cant preclude another reoccurrence.
The reality is, if we noticed the warning signs and intervened sooner and at younger ages, we could reduce these incidents, says DelGrosso. But there will be times we cant stop them.
DelGrosso anticipates more discussion about when and how mental healthcare providers can physically intervene in a potentially threatening situation. We live in a free society, he says. People can choose not to get help.
Colorado has strict laws that determine when a mental health professional can step in and contact authorities for resistant individuals.
Its time for a national conversation on mental illness, DelGrosso affirms. We need to sit down, define and talk about the key issues, discover how we can become more effective, and then go out and do our jobs.
To locate a Community Behavioral Healthcare Center in your area, call 303-832-7594 or access www.cbhc.org.
Copyright © 2012 by the Intermountain Jewish News
