A Portland mother recently asked Omamas for ideas on how to support a child with mental illness as the child moves into adolescence. Dr. Mike Franz, president of the Oregon Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, offered some advice.
Be ready for increasing confidentiality. Franz said that as children grow older, they have a “need and right for increasing autonomy as a patient in the mental health system.” That includes increased confidentiality.
But, Franz said, “this (confidentiality) is always balanced with the parents’ right to be involved in treatment.” In most cases, he said, providers will view family involvement as necessary for the child to receive the best care possible. …Continue reading at OregonLive.com.