We produce custom items for sale and unapologetically advocate for adolescents in Tippecanoe County, IN to have the treatment resources for mental health and substance use. There are times when parents are faced with the stress of making sacrifices elsewhere to make ends meet - like essential healthcare, prescriptions, groceries, transportation, and utilities. Statistics have continually shown tha
t unresolved adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are the leading risk factor and a major contributing cause for many drug addictions and mental health disorders. If we do not help our kids when they are young, they have a greater chance of growing up to be "dysfunctional adults," and the cycle just repeats itself. If you have a child under 18 who needs mental health services, they can talk to a professional every other week - or once a week - if they are lucky. Wait times to start services can be up to a year. We do not have a single substance abuse service here for someone under the age of 18, yet there are drugs in our schools. Tippecanoe County is the 8th largest county in the State of Indiana per capita. We are currently building FOUR ADDITIONAL hospitals and medical facilities, none of which will be addressing this lack of adolescent mental health or substance use services. We are home to Purdue University, yet we do not have a single resource beyond what is mentioned above for our youth. We should have intensive outpatient programs, partial hospitalization, and an inpatient facility for BOTH mental health and substance abuse SPECIFICALLY for our youth. It goes beyond physical building. Our children need to have Trauma- Informed professionals and staff who know how to treat adolescents. See here for more information https://bit.ly/3Z2vIk6
Right now, the closest facility for a higher level of mental health care when deemed an emergency almost an hour and a half away and that is unacceptable. A major factor in changing the path that many of our adolescents are on - we need to have trained professionals and resources ready and available when they need it, when they want it, and most importantly, when they are ready for it. When there is a problem SO SIGNIFICANT that almost 200,000 Tippecanoe County residents are making enough noise that we want our money HERE, specifically for our KIDS and their MENTAL HEALTH, guess what makes us forget about politics and "which side we are on?"
Thinking about our children, our grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighbors - about breaking generational curses and wanting better for them. THAT is the vision behind the Collect;bles for Change.™️
