PEORIA MAGAZINE January 2023

C O V E R S T O R Y

‘NO CHILD SHOULD

SUFFER A LIFE DERAILED BY UNTREATED MENTAL ILLNESS’ UnityPoint’s Young Minds Center aims to fill a huge need in central Illinois

BY MIKE BAILEY PHOTO BY RON JOHNSON A s a parent, you’re at wit’s end. A chi ld’s behav ior has changed dramatically, and it’s increasingly obvious that it’s more than just the growing pains of adolescence. You’d prefer to deal with this privately, of course. You try to reassure yourself that it’s all just a phase, but it’s like you don’t know this person anymore. She has closed herself off, stopped communicating, begun locking herself in her room for long stretches. Sometimes, you think you see evidence of self-harm – redness here, a scratch there. The

Mary Sparks Thompson, president of UnityPoint Health-UnityPlace

weight loss is noticeable. Ah, maybe it’s just your imagination. You and your spouse argue all the time now about how to deal with this, and it’s starting to take a toll on the entire family. Two other kids need attention, too. The worry is constant. At work, it’s hard to concentrate, and don’t think your boss and colleagues haven’t noticed. Some times you fear leaving the house because of what might happenwhen you’re gone. A teacher at your child’s school pulls you aside and voices a concern. It has taken a lot of sleepless nights to get to this point, but ultimately, there

is a family consensus: Outside help is needed. An appointment is scheduled at a local mental health facility, where you encounter what you’d never even considered: Yes, your child is clinically depressed, and intervention probably is needed, but – we’re so sorry – there is just no room at the inn. All beds are taken by what we believe are even sicker children and adolescents. A feeling of helplessness sinks in: You are on your own. What are you to do? The above narrative is a composite of many a family’s story, and it has been

28 JANUARY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE