We are proud to share a note received from a mother expressing her gratitude to staff at our Acute@Home program (formerly called Emergency Room Outreach) for the care provided to her daughter.

Staff at Acute@Home supported the family throughout treatment while educating them on how to best be there for their child during her journey. The mother expressed how she hopes her message will help other parents and families as they navigate the mental health challenges faced by their children.

This message the first of a series we will be running on our blog – stay tuned for more.

---

"I’d like to first tell you, you are not alone and that I understand your pain. It can feel very isolating when your child is in crisis and at risk of hurting themselves. Our culture generally does not share such matters that are so close to the heart. It can become a secret. But know from one parent who understands this pain that you are doing what you can to support your child and be a good parent, it’s just that your child is in pain and needs more support. Perhaps now, you are in need of more help because what you’ve tried has not yet worked. That’s how it happened with our family. Following multiple visits to the emergency room we were eventually connected to our outreach worker from Wood’s Homes.

Our Family Support Counsellor introduced herself at the hospital. She shared that she could come to our home and help us find ways to support our daughter and our family. Her support lasted approximately 5 months of consistent touch-ins and her support kept our family afloat while we navigated other elements for our daughter’s success like medication, one-on-one therapy, school supports, and reintroduction into community activities. She also referred us to another clinic where we were able to get further support from a doctor who specializes in this area. She helped us see what our child’s triggers were and what helped her calm down so we could navigate her pain earlier and avoid another emergency visit. She wrote the plan down so we could refer to it when our child struggled and when we as parents did not know what to do. She was there for texting, phone calls, home visits and school visits to support us, answer questions and plan how to help our daughter be successful in all environments.

Most likely you are right now wondering how you even got to this place with your child. You are wanting more than anything to help your child know that there are supports, like Wood’s Homes, to help you and your journey even more. Wood’s Homes was a true godsend and asset in our daughter’s progress. This journey continues for us but we are now stronger with the information we have learnt from this program. I am so grateful to all the funding that has helped this program be what it is and who ultimately believes that every child matters.

Thank you! You may have saved my little girl."

With love, Nancy – a mom who understands