St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s (SLCH) 454-TEEN/Project Safety Net service is celebrating its tenth anniversary not only as a helpline for parents, but also as a service for health care providers. Initially launched with generous donations from the Imbs and Parriott families and sustained by ongoing SLCH Foundation support, the program is a free service for parents with children of all ages.
Currently, the program is staffed by three experienced Masters-level social workers who are ready to talk with parents about their concerns and help locate behavioral health resources. Some of the highlights of the program include:
- Responding to inquiries from parents or caregivers with questions or concerns about their children’s behavioral health. Although “teen” is in the program’s name, the service responds to requests regarding children of all ages.
- Providing referral resources for families seeking behavioral health treatment for their child. The service is available to any family in need of these resources.
- Screening patients at SLCH’s outpatient Endocrine and GI clinics for behavioral health concerns such as depression and anxiety using the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC). Follow-up with parents/caregivers is provided if indicated by PSC or by parent request.
- Offering community education on child and adolescent mental health issues through a variety of forums including the recent informational booths at SLCH and the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Specialty Care Center.
Please encourage parents and caregivers to contact the helpline with questions regarding their child or when they are seeking assistance with locating appropriate behavioral health resources in their communities. For more information, call the helpline at 314.454.TEEN (8336).
