Children In Crisis: ER System Failing Those With Mental Health Needs [Courant.com]

Samantha Sangenito 8/1/144:00 AM

"I don't remember a period like that before where the volume was so high and we had so many kids where there wasn't a place to facilitate them to, there wasn't a place for them to go to," said Gary Steck, CEO of Wellmore Behavioral Health, based in Waterbury. At one point, Steck said, he was told there were a couple dozen kids stuck in the system, waiting to get into a higher level of care.

Dr. Lisa Namerow called it a crisis several years ago when there were five kids spending four days in the ER at Connecticut Children's. Now it's worse. Some days this spring, there were 20 kids waiting for a place to go or for an evaluation. And the number waiting three or more days in the ER has reached record highs.

[For more of this story, written by Arielle Levin Becker,

Add Comment

Comments (0)

<ul id="{%=id%}ButtonGroup" class="button-group h-popup-buttons even-button-group even-1">
    <li id="{%=id%}Okay_buttonContainer"><a id="{%=id%}Okay" href="javascript:void(0);" class="button success no-margin-bottom h-alert-modal-ok-button" role="button">OK</a><script type="text/javascript">
        (function() {
            function {%=id%}Okay_click(event, data) {
            {%=id%}Popup.hide();
        }
        
                $('#{%=id%}Okay').on('click', {%=id%}Okay_click);
        })();
    </script></li></ul><a href="javascript:void(0);" class="close-reveal-modal" aria-label="Close Modal">&#215;</a><div class="last-modal-focus focus-utility-element" tabindex="0"></div>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
        (function() {
            {%=id%}Popup = new SS.Popup.ModalPopup('{%=id%}');
        })();
    </script>

Skip to main content

Add Comment

Membership Required

Remove From Your Block List

Manage Follow Preferences

Block

Please wait...