Brockton non-profit, Pinnacle Partnership, helps families raise kids with mental health needs
BROCKTON- Elizabeth Marcella says when her son turned five years old, she knew something was wrong.
"He was three and four years old and super confident kid and then something changed. It's very overwhelming to reach out to providers or to even have an understanding of what direction do I go in"," she said.
After COVID hit she is one of many parents who became deeply concerned about her child's mental health.
That's when she discovered Pinnacle Partnerships in Brockton, a non-profit organization that provides resources, education and empowerment to families who are raising kids with mental health needs.
Pinnacle Partneship co-founder Kristi Glen says her mission is personal.
"I actually started my work as a parent who has a child with mental health needs. So this is my passion. I know what it feels like to not know where to turn," Glen said.
She's now one of the "lived-experienced" coaches in a support program called PERL. Working one-on-one with parents like Marcella.
"Depression, anxiety and a lot of kids talking about hurting themselves. These experienced coaches or PERLS as we call them they are really out there to support not only the families but also the field by taking some of the weight off and helping to teach and educate families," Glen said.
And showing families community-based services that are out there.
"We aim to help families who fall in between the cracks. They may not be able to access services under like a Medicaid or other types of insurance. So we try to make sure every type of family who has a child with a mental health need can access those services," Glen said.
Over the years Pinnacle Partnership has helped countless families navigate the difficult journey when it comes to mental health; providing the necessary resources so they don't feel isolated or alone.
"They opened up my eyes to different avenues to look down so we can help get back to that boy he used to be," Marcella said.
Marcella says her son's journey with mental health is far from over but believes they are on the right path.
"I am super happy. He's being evaluated by the school for any learning disabilities we are also having our own private evaluation done just to make sure nothing is missed," Marcella said.
