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Working with Adolescents and Their Families in the Immediate Aftermath of a Suicide Attempt
Terror, anger, confusion, anxiety, and desperation are some of the feelings that family members express following a suicide attempt by a young adolescent. The mental health worker who has been working with the teen may be left to wonder - “What did I miss? What didn’t I do? What didn’t I see?...
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Recognizing Suicide Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) encompasses five developmental disorders including Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, Pervasive Developmental disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Rett’s Disorder, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD). According to the National Institute of...
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The ECT Controversy
Although many believe they have been helped by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) – in which seizures are electrically induced, usually to treat severe depression – ECT also involves serious risks. In fact, many others believe it has destroyed their lives. The risks – permanent amnesia and...
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The NYSPA Report: The Need for an “Essential Health Benefits” Federal Floor
Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in March 2010, health policy experts and health lawyers have been working around the clock to comprehend and respond to an unprecedented number of proposed and final regulations. Noticeably absent from a myriad of federal rules that have been...
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Understanding Suicide in New York City: The Scope of the Problem and Opportunities for Prevention
In the past two decades, New York City has seen a decline in overall suicide rates.1 The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) recently announced that the suicide rate in NYC is approximately half that of the national suicide rate.1 Yet, the actual number of suicides is high:...
