Adolescent mental health programs lack staff

There’s a big push to fund adolescent mental health programs on both the federal and state levels.

Even with more money gradually going in that direction experts say that’s not the problem. It’s the lack of staffing to get it done.

Children’s mental health is on the forefront in recent years.

Matthew Shapiro, with National Alliance on Mental Illness, says there’s not enough programs for the youth.

The problem is not the push for mental health funding, the issue is finding help.

Recently, a Saratoga County family reached out to Newschannel 13, after they felt lost about how to help their 17-year-old son, Aiden. Who is autistic and suffers from schizophrenia.

The family says he needs to be in an in-patient adolescent mental health unit.

But, there’s only two in the capital region and one of them at Ellis Medicine is temporarily closed because of low staffing.

Shapiro says part of the staffing problem is because people are not being payed enough, pandemic made lots of workers decide to leave the industry, and a lack of encouragement to enter this field.

Be sure to watch Tessa Bentulan’s story above to learn more.