Mental Health

How is Your Child's Mental Health?

You may notice that your child or adolescent:

• • Often seems unhappy, angry, or withdrawn, and nothing seems to help

  • Seems distracted and restless and can't sit still as long as other children of the same age

  • Is falling behind in school work or has problems in the classroom

  • Puts him or herself down and seems to feel worthless

  • Has few friends and doesn’t get along with family members

  • Seems to be upset and highly stressed about family problems

  • Shows signs of using drugs or alcohol

  • Is making comments about suicide

When a mental illness is suspected and a severe crisis in behavior occurs, school staff most importantly wants you as the parent to be aware we are concerned for your child’s welfare and suggest you utilize the following resources:

Community resources to support your child’s mental health:

REFERRAL FOR SERVICES:

Care Solace helps individuals find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers. Their Care Companion™ team is available 24 hours per day/7 days per week to quickly connect you to carefully verified providers in our community. This referral service is available to all employees who work in or residents (regardless of age) of Ashby, Pepperell, and Townsend. Students, staff, and families may access Care Solace services in two ways:

● Call (888) 515-0595 at any time. Support is available in 200+ languages. A dedicated Care Companion™ will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit.

● For an anonymous search, answer a few questions to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at caresolace.com/nmrsd Care Solace is available for use at no cost to you. They will connect you with providers accepting all medical insurances, including Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding scale options for those without insurance. All information entered on the Care Solace tool is completely confidential and securely stored. Please note, that this service is an optional resource available by choice and is not mandatory to use.

Care Solace is not an emergency response service or mental health services provider. In the event of a life threatening emergency, please call 911 or the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. If you are interested in counseling-related services for your child, yourself, or another family member, please contact Care Solace for valuable assistance. This is a complimentary resource provided by the district.

24 HOUR CRISIS HOTLINE SERVICES: (800) 977-5555

This hotline can provide support for the student and family 24/7, 365 days of the year. Youth can also call themselves for support. You may also call and place your child “on alert” and let them know that you are concerned for your child’s mental health status.

MOBILE CRISIS INTERVENTION (MCI):

Call (800)977-5555 for MassHealth-enrolled youth up to 21, this service mobilizes to the home or other site where a youth is located (School). Service is provided 24/7/365 at all locations. Request a mobile crisis team to come to your location and evaluate the child.

EMERGENCY SERVICES PROGRAMS (ESP):

Community-based emergency services are available to help individuals having a mental health and/or substance abuse crisis. They are the alternative to hospital emergency departments.

• • Community HealthLink, Inc.
    Community-Based Location
    40 Spruce Street
    Leominster, MA 01453

(978) 534-6116

• • Community HealthLink, Inc.
    Community -Based Location
    10 Parker Street
    Gardner, MA 01440

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS (ER/ED):

• • Health Alliance Hospital – Leominster, MA
    60 Hospital Rd, Leominster, MA 01453
    (978) 466-2000

• • Nashoba Valley Medical Center – Ayer, MA
    200 Groton Rd, Ayer, MA 01432
    (978) 784-9000

• • Lowell General Hospital (On-Sight Youth Psychiatric Unit)
    295 Varnum Ave, Lowell, MA 01854
    (978) 937-6000

• • Emerson Hospital (On-Sight Youth Psychiatric Unit)
    133 Old Road Nine Acre Corner, Concord MA 01742
    (978)369-1400

Online resources to support your child’s mental health:

National Alliance on Mental Illness Massachusetts - www.namimass.org