Thank you to everyone who donated at Meridian's blood drive - Sept. 28. We collected enough units to save up to 78 lives. Way to go! ❤👍 #DonateBloodSaveLife

In 2020, more than 210,000 chil¬dren under 18 entered fos¬ter care in the Unit¬ed States. On average, children remain in state care for more than a year and a half, and 5 percent of children in foster care have languished there five or more years, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In Indiana, there are about 13,000 children in the foster care system, many waiting for a home, according to Indiana Foster Care. Yet, there are roughly only 6,200 licensed parents. Now, imagine if the foster child has special needs? Meridian’s FosterHope is one of the few foster programs in the state specializing in the needs of children with behavioral issues. Meridian identifies and trains families to provide therapeutic care with the hope of reuniting children with their families. The needs are urgent, and the impact is great. Meridian’s expertise means FosterHope families have the medical and psychological support that goes well beyond determining placement. FosterHope provides each child and family with a connection to integrated care that addresses the child's variety of needs and coordinates care. Access to Meridian Health Services’ child psychiatrists, behavioral clinicians, therapists, and medical physicians make the difficult job of foster parenting a positive experience even through the most challenging times. FosterHope strives for a reduction in the level of therapeutic care that a foster child requires with the hope of reunification and reducing the overall time in a foster home. The foster parents who Meridian supports, have access to behavioral support, crisis intervention and emergency respite 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

https://www.meridianhs.org/social/foster-hope-program/

At Meridian, we have certified instructors, who are trained in providing Mental Health First Aid training for both the youth and adults. Certified instructors attend a three-day training and once certified the teach the course at least three times per year to maintain their certification. Upon hire, Meridian staff is placed in either one or both trainings as it relates to their specific patient/client population. Topics include depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, psychosis, and substance use disorders. Mental Health First Aid teaches about recovery and resiliency – the belief that individuals experiencing these challenges can and do get better and use their strengths to stay well. Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. Mental Health First Aid takes the fear and hesitation out of starting conversations about mental health and substance use problems by improving understanding and providing an action plan that teaches people to safely and responsibly identify and address a potential mental illness or substance use disorder.

Meridian Health is happy to support this family-fun community event in Hartford City. Be sure to check it out!