Millions of families who are affected daily by mental health issues will be interested in this 132 page guide, Mental Health In A Failed American System: What Every Parent, Family, & Caregiver Should Know by Támara Hill, MS, LPC-BE. Támara Hill is a therapist specializing in child and adolescent mental health. She works with youth suffering from behavioral and mood disorders. Although she has worked with trauma and autism spectrum disorders, she gleans most of her experience from working with parents, families, and caregivers within the mental health system.
The team at Special Needs Book Review thanks Ms. Hill for her excellent guest post introducing her book and we look forward to learning more about her in this interview.
Lorna: Your bio tells us you are a family consultant and advocate. What is a typical day for you?
<<Támara Hill: I am, by trade, a professional mental health therapist who was trained in counseling and assessing children and adolescents. I started working in hospitals and community centers, but I now work in schools. When I am not working in my office, I am advocating and consulting with families online or by phone.
I currently work with juveniles who have been adjudicated and determined to be delinquent. These at-risk youths struggle with multiple psychiatric and behavioral problems such as depression, anxiety, substance related disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or oppositional and defiant behaviors. These youths range from 12 to 19.
My day typically begins with looking over my various cases and determining what the youth needs for the week, what the court may need, and seeing kids for mental health assessments or counseling sessions. When I leave work I write articles about mental health, advocating for families through many outlets such as PsychCentral.com, MentalHealth.answers.com, and NAMI radio stations or websites. When I’m not doing this, I am maintaining my own site where I speak with parents, families, and caregivers during free online consultations that I offer. There’s always a need and I’m glad when I can offer help through the many ways technology has blessed us.>>
Lorna: Your bio also says, “Támara aims to empower families to re-discover authentic living outside of a complex and unfair system.” Please elaborate; I am not sure I know what this means.
<<Támara Hill: Sure! A lot of people ask about this and really what I am saying is that I’m aiming to empower families and parents through what I call “self-knowledge,” which is a personal exploration of truth and education about mental health. Self-knowledge allows us to re-discover the truth and the authenticity found in discovering the truth. The truth is illuminating and empowering.
We live in a complex and unfair mental health system and everything in healthcare hinges upon money, insurance, politics, or the number of beds available in hospitals for the severely ill. Nothing seems to be fair. Multiple families desire to understand why the system functions the way it does and why it doesn’t function the way it should. My job, my calling I believe it is, is to inform parents and families and to empower them to make the right decisions, feel confident about them, and take a leap of faith.>>
Lorna: Congratulations on your much needed book that makes people aware of the flaws in mental health programs. Tell us what motivated you to write your book, Mental Health In A Failed American System: What Every Parent, Family, & Caregiver Should Know.
<<Támara Hill: So many things motivated me to write this book. I wasn’t sure I wanted to write a book in the first place. I was comfortable writing articles on the side and advocating for change. As I grew in my field, my work, and changed jobs, I recognized that there were many holes in the system and that families were often left alone in the confusion to try to piece together why they weren’t getting help, even in severe cases. My articles began to draw attention from the media and I was offered radio interviews that allowed me to speak with families across the nation and in different countries. As I listened to them, I realized that my own concerns about the field were also concerns of many parents and families too. Emails and letters sent to me spoke to my heart. I then realized that I was being “called” to a greater purpose and that perhaps I should compile all of my experiences, observations, and concerns into one book. Within two-three years, it was ready!>>
Lorna: Take a parent struggling with raising a teen who is very depressed, what help does your book offer this parent?
<<Támara Hill: Depression can be a very serious condition. It often ranges from mild, moderate, to severe and even psychotic levels. Depression is something most teens experience as they develop, but clinically crippling depression requires treatment. My book, unfortunately, does not cover topics specific to certain mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. Rather, my book focuses on the mental health system itself and the problems inherent in the system (historical and contemporary), which is something most parents and families are likely to encounter while seeking help for their depressed teen. For example, a chapter in my book speaks about the multiple barriers in the system such as: lack of insurance coverage, high costs for prescriptions or clinical visits, diagnoses, and problems with confidentiality. Parents will learn why it is so difficult to get their teens help or why certain mental health professionals are not obligated to tell parents or guardians about what goes on in therapy. Parents or families interested in the book will find information on free resources, learn about legal barriers, and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), the manual responsible for labeling people with diagnoses.>>
Lorna: Your book is also beneficial to parents of children with special needs. A bonus chapter of your book discusses bullying and offers resources on how to protect children with special needs within the school system. What are some tips you can give families who are faced with the bullying of their child.
<<Támara Hill: Bullying is a rather tricky topic and many “experts” have begun to question whether bullying is truly a problem. Take it from me, bullying is a problem often cloaked by mental or behavioral problems and emotional instabilities. Research suggests that most kids, who bully, are often at increased risks for developing anti-social behaviors, conduct problems, and ADHD. Delinquency is likely too. Kids who are bullied often experience mental health problems later in life themselves. So bullying is truly problematic and doesn’t only interfere with emotional health, but mental health as well.
The second thing to keep in mind is that bullying often entails more than verbal or physical aggression. Bullying is also cyber bullying (engaging in aggression using the Internet. For example, spreading rumors, manipulating photos, or threatening others on FaceBook, Twitter, or MySpace) and social (making others feel left out intentionally).
The most important thing to remember about children with special needs who are being bullied is that the law MUST protect them. A parent of a child, with a special need, who is being bullied, can file a civil rights lawsuit. Parents have the right to pursue what is known as “disability harassment” in a court of law. The Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. takes these complaints. I encourage you to contact your Canadian Civil Liberties Association to inquire about a similar law in your country. The Canadian Red Cross also has information on bullying prevention. The best suggestion I can give parents is to just stay informed. Read everything and stay on top of the law by knowing your rights.>>
Lorna: You have been on a variety of radio shows, nationally and internationally, and contribute to multiple articles, blogs, and other media outlets regarding parents and families caring for a loved one with a mental health condition. What underlying message do you try to transmit when you speak or write?
<<Támara Hill: My underlying message is always to pursue self-knowledge, be independent and learn all you can. There are multiple messages that circulate throughout the world including multiple theories and advocates. It’s so easy to get confused, to become discouraged by all of the information out there, and to lose hope.
There are political and cultural reasons why certain people support certain ideas too. Some people will try to manipulate your thinking, change your perspective, and dominate your truth by threatening your belief system. There is so much out there to confuse a parent or family member in search of truth or at least some understanding of the mental health system. Each opportunity I have to educate parents and families and to remind them to pursue as much knowledge as they can, I take it.
My book’s underlying theme is the same. Everything I write about is the same message: pursue self-knowledge (educating yourself in your own time to help yourself and your family). It’s so easy to be told by others what to do (which could ultimately be inappropriate for your needs); it’s harder to find out what you should do on your own. But once you do, you won’t regret it.>>
Lorna: Mental health is such a huge issue affecting so many families. Thank you for introducing us to your book and for taking part in our Author Interview Series. This is one of your Tweets, “On building a collaborative relationship with your child’s school….
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” –Henry Mike Ford” In closing, please explain how family members, a spouse or friends can help a person who is suffering from mental health issues.
<<Támara Hill: Firstly, thank you so much Lorna for your advocacy by sharing stories and interviews about so many special needs supporters and authors. I am grateful that you chose to feature me as well. Being among the great books here and having the opportunity to share is something that I’m humbled by. So thank you again!
Helping someone with a mental health condition can be difficult, especially when that individual is resistant to treatment or intervention. But I always think it is worth the effort to reach out. The first thing a person should do is talk to the person they are concerned about. Ask them how they are feeling and share your observations with them.
Have you noticed depressed mood?
Have you noticed the person looking more stressed?
Have you noticed the person is falling behind in their bills, their appearance, or their job?
Are they isolating?
Are they talking about being better off dead?
All of these things can be warning signs so you’ll want to bring this up. After you gather some information, you can simply ask: “Do you think you would benefit from seeing a therapist or doctor for counseling or medication?” Some people will get offended, while others will appreciate your care and concern for them. Be sure to let them know that you care about them which is why you are bringing this topic up. Your goal is to coax the person into speaking the truth about their health and being open to seeking treatment.
The most important thing we can do for anyone suffering from mental health difficulties is to show them we love them. A non-judgmental tone and non-judgmental behaviors will make all the difference. Once a person senses your genuine care for them, they will be more likely to respond to you and possibly seek out the help they need. If all else fails, education almost always wins. Support groups, YouTube videos on mental health, websites, or books are great ways to broach the topic with anyone.
Lorna, thank you once again and I wish you and your readers all the best!>>
Follow Támara Hill :
Twitter@TherapistTee
Psychcentral.com/caregivers,
anchoredinknowledge.com.
Read Also Review of Mental Health In A Failed American System: What Every Parent, Family, & Caregiver Should Know by Támara Hill
Buy Mental Health In A Failed American System: Amazon.com Amazon.ca and Barnesandnoble.com.