My Behavioral Health & Wellness Story: Lily
LILY GALLEGOS: “I can draw anything I want
and nobody can say anything about it.” LILY GALLEGOS: “I feel like a bit better
about opening up to people and makes me feel a lot better knowing that people know
what I’m going through and can help me.” KAREN TUCKER: “Oh my.” LIL GALLEGOS: “Hi, my name is Lily and this
is my behavioral health and wellness story.” The path for 13-year-old Lily forever changed
at Children’s Nebraska following a broken ankle. SHANA ROMERO: “Every patient that comes
through here over the age of 10 is going to fill out a PHQ, which stands for patient
health questionnaire. And it’s just a 10 question survey that helps us see where
kids are at with their mental health.” LILY GALLEGOS: “I remember a few of the questions
were like, “How are you feeling? Do you self harm? Have you ever attempted?” I decided to, you
know, stop trying to come up with excuses. Also, the fact that I was already in pain
due to my ankle being uh fractured. Um, I didn’t really stop to think much about,
hey, we don’t want people knowing this.” KAREN TUCKER: “I just I couldn’t believe that
she was feeling to the point of feeling like it was necessary to harm herself. You just you
don’t you don’t think that your child is that is that depressed. So depressed that they want
to hurt themself or or thinking of suicide.” Social workers in the emergency department
established a safety plan confirmed therapy was in place and continued to stay connected
through the Caring Contacts program. SABRINA SCHALLEY: “I think Caring Contacts is a
really magical program. It was really this simple concept of let’s send them handwritten notes from
the person who did that assessment to say we still care about you. We’re in your corner rooting
for you. Keep on the path. It’ll be worth it.” Over the course of 12 months, teens
like Lily receive six handwritten cards. Stickers and resources are often
included in these notes of encouragement. LILY GALLEGOS: “This one, this, and these four.” SHANA ROMERO: “It’s really just
us checking in like saying, “Hey, thinking of you. Hope you’re doing okay. Hope
you’re still connected to resources.” Um, usually some little nugget in there about coping
skills or, “Hey, mental health is lifelong.” Nearly one year after breaking her silence, Lily
is in a good place. with friends and family, a creative outlet for expression, and her
meaningful messages always within reach. LILY GALLEGOS: “I usually keep them on my
dresser where I can see them so that if I’m feeling sad and I forgot I have anything
there, I can just go to my dresser, boom, letters right there out in the open, I can get
them and I can read them and I feel better.” Lily’s success reflects Children’s
Nebraska’s approach to caring for the whole person, both physically and mentally. SHANA ROMERO: “There’s nothing more important. You
know, a broken ankle can heal and you put a cast on it and the kid’s doing great, but untreated
mental health or depression can follow a child for life. And there’s so much intervention and so
much help that can be brought to that situation.” KAREN TUCKER: “It’s kind of like having an
angel knowing that there’s somebody who cares about your child. I mean, genuinely cares
about your child. It means the world to me.”
When 13-year-old Lily’s broken ankle brought her to Children’s Nebraska’s Emergency Department, she never expected the conversation would turn to her mental health. But she answered the provided patient health questionnaire openly and honestly, and the results indicated she had signs of depression and needed expert help.
Supported by a safety plan and Children’s Caring Contacts correspondence program, Lily received the whole person care she needed – both physically and mentally. Discover more on Lily’s story and Children’s commitment to pediatric mental and behavioral healthcare at https://www.childrensnebraska.org/health-hub/lilys-story.
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