May is Mental Health Awareness Month. At Child Saving Institute (CSI), our Mental and Behavioral Health Services team prioritizes quality mental health programming; this month and beyond.
Our therapy and medication management team shows up every day with care and offers hope to the children and families who need it most. The need for this vital mental health treatment is evident. Throughout Nebraska and southwest Iowa, children who need help are often not able to find it. This can result in kids and youth feeling unsafe, unstable and falling into desperate situations.
In Nebraska, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 60% of children aged 12 to 17 with depression do not receive the mental health treatment they need. In Iowa, according to Iowa’s DHHS, youth aged 12 to 17 saw a significant decrease in mental health care since the COVID-19 pandemic. These gaps in care exist nationally as well with Children’s Rights reporting less than half of the children in the U.S. with emotional or behavioral health problems receive the treatment they need.
CSI addresses these mental healthcare gaps in Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Nebraska DHHS and University of Nebraska Medicine (UNMC) list the top barriers to treatment as language gaps, distance to a provider and cost. At CSI, we meet families where they are, offering bilingual therapy services, telehealth and acceptance of Medicaid and most insurance providers. CSI knows the importance of accessing care when it’s needed is crucial. That’s why CSI is committed to quick access to its mental health services, sometimes with immediate availability.
Finding therapy services and mental health care your child needs can feel overwhelming. CSI walks alongside families as they make these crucial decisions. Our outpatient therapists in Omaha are all accepting new patients. Take the first step to trauma-informed, compassionate care for your child through exploring our mental health services. If your child needs inpatient treatment, our Children’s Square campus programs (Crisis Stabilization and Psychiatric Medical Institute for Children) in Council Bluffs, Iowa are here to provide comfort in times of uncertainty.
To learn more about our mental health services and book your first appointment, please visit our Mental and Behavioral Health Services page.
