From the very beginning, Somethings was created to be a safe space for teens to seek the support they need. We are dedicated to fostering a nonjudgmental, inclusive space where teens can express themselves freely, regardless of their background, beliefs, or values.

Understanding the Barriers to Getting Support with Parents

Research has consistently shown that many teens hesitate to discuss mental health or wellness concerns with their caregivers, even when caregivers are supportive of them seeking care(1, 2, 3). At Somethings, we’ve had over 12,000 teens apply to our program on their own, almost all of which cited concerns about involving caregivers as a major barrier to getting the help that they need. Below are the three most common concerns that teens shared with us:

• Fear of the Unknown: Teens often worry about how their caregivers will react or whether seeking help will change their family dynamics, cause anger, or burden their caregivers with their challenges.

• Fear of Retribution: Some teens may fear judgment, punishment, or disapproval if they open up about their mental health struggles.

• Difficulty Initiating the Conversations: Initiating difficult conversations, particularly about mental health, can be daunting for teens who may lack confidence or experience with such discussions.

Teens often have a skewed perception of how their caregivers will react to conversations about their mental health, which frequently leads them to avoid seeking help and suffering in silence.

The Public Health Perspective

The youth mental health crisis is widely recognized as a public health emergency. According to the CDC, the rates of adolescent depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation have significantly increased in recent years.

The U.S. Surgeon General declared that we are in a youth mental health crisis.

Early intervention when it comes to youth mental health has a significant impact in preventing unwanted outcomes such as hospitalizations or suicides (1,2).

In response, states like North Carolina (and the U.S. Federal Government) have implemented measures to support youth access to mental health services and remove potential barriers and ensure that teens receive timely help. Many of these resources, such as 988, the NC state Peer Warmline, and Mobile crisis teams are available to teens without parent consent. Now, Somethings has also been added to this list of resources available for teens across the state.

All resources provided to support minors with their mental wellbeing follow North Carolina statues which outline a minors rights to seek and consent to support for an emotional disturbance.

At Somethings, we are committed to ensuring that no teen falls through the cracks of the mental healthcare ecosystem and our aim in North Carolina is to provide a space where teens can seek support early so that, together, we can prevent any major health issues from arising in the first place.

Supporting Teens While Encouraging Parental Involvement

We recognize the critical importance of having caregivers engaged and consent to their teen’s behavioral health services. As such, during the application process, each teen is asked to include their caregivers in their experience at Somethings.

It is only if a teen explicitly opts to not include their caregiver citing a concern that doing so would prevent them from receiving the care that they need that we may allow them to seek care independently. In this event, we require teens to provide an emergency contact of someone who is 18 years or older to contact in the event of an emergency.

For any teen, we consistently and repeatedly encourage teens to engage in open communication with their caregivers about their mental health. Here’s how we integrate this approach:

• First Month Mentorship Focus: a key focus of the first month of mentorship is to build the teen’s communication skills and confidence in discussing their mental health with their caregivers.

• Monthly Re-evaluation: We revisit the conversation at the one-month mark to check if the teen feels more comfortable involving their caregivers.

• Continued Support: If the teen remains hesitant, we continue to provide support and check in monthly to encourage caregiver communication when they feel ready.

Transparency and Trust

We understand that it may be concerning for caregivers to learn that their teen has sought help without their knowledge and/or consent. At Somethings, we are dedicated to providing a safe and effective experience to help teens feel their best and, in turn, encourage effective communication between teens and their caregivers. Our Policies are available for caregivers who wish to understand how we protect their teen’s information while ensuring safety and support.

Reach Out to Us

If you are a caregiver of a teen and want to learn more about how Somethings works and your rights as a parent, please reach out to our team by booking a call below. We are more than happy to discuss our approach, answer your questions, and provide insights into how we foster safe and supportive environments for teens.

Your trust means everything to us, and we are committed to supporting both teens and families on their journey to mental wellness.