KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Experts say once a child or teenager is discharged from an inpatient or residential service program, the transition back home can be a challenging one.
Susan Pinne is the director of community programs at Saint Luke's Hospital Crittenton's Children Center.
"Children are in crisis in this country; we've got enormous rates of children doing harm to themselves and harm to other people," Pinne said. "A lot of children have had experiences that a lot of us as adults can’t imagine coping with."
It can be overwhelming navigating the Kansas City-area's mental health systems and families can sometimes fall through the cracks.
The in-home program at St. Luke's Hospital Crittenton’s Children's Center, which provides full wrap around services, prevents that.
For 16 years, Pinne has helped move staff outside the confines of an office for outreach in the Kansas City community to help facilitate the healing of others and meet people where they are.
Pinne oversees two programs— Trauma Smart, where staff help teachers understand more about what kids have been through, and Smart Connections, an in-home services program.
"We meet the parents exactly where they are," she said. "The program tries to help them understand what’s going on with their child, makes sure they understand the diagnosis, goes with them to their home, supports them through that process of getting community support and therapy in home; helps family become that support the child’s need."
She says the advantage of in-home care is powerful but simple — receiving treatment in their home, a safe environment, so when they leave a place like Crittenton, the continuum of care doesn't end after the hospital.
Funded by Jackson County Children's Services fund, voters approved the funding in perpetuity and the in-home program is available to families for free.
"We just see such amazing outcomes — families who tell us the difference it's made and the trajectory of their children’s lives and the ability to accomplish their goals," Pinne said.
Ricky Snyder and his 14-year-old son, Boogie, went through the program.
"He's definitely come a long way," Snyder said.
The Snyder family wanted to share their story after his son was struggling with the death of his mother, who was killed in a hit-and-run crash.
Snyder says this program changed his son in unimaginable ways.
"He went from a couple of suicide attempts to going out of his way helping other people not go through the same thing," Snyder said. "I could have never imagined following an ambulance to the hospital to where we are today, and I couldn’t have done it with all of these people."
The program that helps 40 families a year isn't just an office visit — it's intense in-home care that Snyder says changes lives.
"There's a lot of hard work that goes into it," Snyder said. "There were a lot of scary times in the process."
Pinne said the program brings families closer together.
"It’s a very intense experience when you join with a family because you are so connected to the family," Pinne said. "There's no distance between you and family; you almost become a member of that family."
Snyder said joining the program wasn't easy initially.
"It was absolutely terrifying, to the best thing I’ve ever done," he said. "They are going to go out of their way to make sure that you are on the right path, and the world needs more of those people."
Snyder said there are a lot of kids who can fall through the gaps due to lack of funding or space available, and he wants others to know of the program.
"That all can really push a lot of parents away from following through because they've got jobs, life, everything, and it makes it hard to know what to do next," he said.
After inpatient and in-home work was completed, Snyder said his son is now succeeding with a newfound empathy, courage, and confidence, taking advanced classes, and wants to become a psychologist.
"It's definitely been a change that I did not expect," he said. "He's realized that he can't do anything on his own, and neither can anyone else. He wants to help people because when he needed help, there were people there to help him.”
Pinne reports they soon look to provide care in the Medicaid space too.
Anyone concerned about a child is asked to call Crittenton’s main number (816)-765-6600.
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KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. Share your story idea with Megan.