Programs : Children & Families

• By the time homeless children are eight years old, one out of every three has a severe mental illness.
  
• Fully half of the youth in Florida's juvenile justice detention facilities have a diagnosed severe mental illness.
• Child abuse makes suicide attempts 12 times more likely

Imagine a society in which half of the children with cancer are in jail because cancer treatment is unavailable. Just like cancer treatment, mental health treatment does work, and it can be made available if we choose.

Directions for Mental Health reached 3,585 children last year in Pinellas County with services ranging from prevention of emotional and behavioral problems to early professional intervention to school based and outreach programs. Child psychiatric treatment is offered to families and children with more severe problems. These services can prevent children from living a life of involvement with the criminal justice system, substance abuse and school failure.

Click here for a full list of services.