(KTVA)

If a parent has a child with a serious mental health issue they may find it tough to get treatment in Alaska. That's why the state of Alaska started an initiative five years ago called Bring the Kids Home with the goal of providing more mental health services for children in Alaska so they don't have to go outside for treatment.

One mom has managed to keep her young son in Alaska with the help of some special services. Jennifer Doak says she knew there was something different about her adopted son Julien by the time he turned two years old. “He was different than a normal toddler in tantraming..he wasn't tantraming but he went over and punched a wall and punched a television and I found that really odd since he hadn't seen those behaviors in the home”.

As time went on Julien's behavior became more odd, unpredictable and sometimes frightening.

In a search for answers Jennifer discovered mental health issues on both sides of his biological family,and says it wasn't long before she started feeling pressure to send Julien to a treatment program outside “And people would say he'll do much better in a residential treatment center and he'll come home cured and you'll be just fine and we actually found out that that

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wouldn't have worked for Julien."

What Jennifer believes is helping Julien is a variety of services he is getting in Anchorage, not out of state. One of them is called Play Therapy.

Counselor Chantal Cohen says the idea is to immerse into Julien's world and let him be in charge. “We work on taking turns. We work on sharing which is hard for him. We work on being able to make some eye contact and for him to be able to use words to say this is how you are feeling.”

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(KTVA)
Jennifer and his therapist believe Julien is making progress but it hasn't come easily. There's weekly counseling, parenting classes and support groups, and Julien is also on medication.

Jennifer says being his mom can be exhausting but she also says she has no regrets about keeping her son at home. “How do we raise our children and teach them the love and values we want them to grow up with if, they're in an institution?”

Jennifer says there were times early on when she really didn't know if they'd be able to keep Julien in their home but because of the support they've received they've been able to make it work. S

ome of the agencies that have been most helpful and which are available to assist other families are:

Anchorage Community Mental Health Services Inc. www.acmhs.com (907) 563-1000 24hr crisis line (907) 563-3200

Alaska Youth and Family Network www.ayfn.com (907) 770-4979

Programs for Infants-Children www.picak.org (907) 561-8060

Stone Soup Group www.stonesoupgroup.org (907) 561-3701

To contact the Newsroom, call 907-274-1111.