Blog Posts

What is a QMHA? - What Parents Deserve to Know #advocacymatters #knowyourrights #mentalhealtheducation #parentadvocate #qmhaexplained #qmhpvsqmha #specialneedsparenting #therapistshortage #traumainformedcare #whiteawakeparenting

If you’re a parent navigating the mental health system, chances are you’ve been introduced to a QMHA — a Qualified Mental Health Associate.

And chances are, no one really explained what that means.
So let me help you out.

First: What is a QMHA?

A QMHA is not a licensed therapist.
They are parapro...

When the Apology isn't Enough: Parenting Through a Broken Mental Health System #adoptionawareness #adoptiveparenting #complexneeds #fiercelove #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #parentadvocate #parentingthroughcrisis #specialneedsparenting #systemicfailure #traumainformedcare #truthtelling #whiteawakeparenting

The mental health system is broken. If you’ve ever tried to get support for your child, you already know.

Waitlists stretch for months. Providers are maxed out (I wrote another blog post about the mental health system needing 5x as many child psychiatrists as we currently have). Agencies are scramb...

FASD Isn't in the DSM V - and That's a Big Problem #adoptionjourney #advocacymatters #brainbasedsupport #compassionateparenting #fasd #fetalalcoholspectrumdisorders #fosteradoptsupport #invisibledisabilities #neurobehavioralparenting #parentingwithcompassion #prenataltrauma #specialneedsparenting #traumainformed #traumainformedparenting #understandingfasd #whiteawakeparenting

Why So Many Kids Are Misdiagnosed and Misunderstood

You’ve taken your child to the doctor. To therapists. To neuropsych evaluations.
You’ve walked out with acronyms: ADHD. ODD. Mood Disorder. Autism Spectrum.
Maybe none of them feel quite right.
Maybe your gut says something deeper is going on.

If...

FASD: The Invisible Legacy We Can’t Ignore #adoptionjourney #advocacymatters #brainbasedsupport" #compassionateparenting #fasd #fetalalcoholspectrumdisorder #fosteradoptsupport #invisiblebrainbaseddifferences #invisibledisabilities #neurobehavioralparenting #neurodivergentkids #neurodivergentparenting #parentingwithcompassion #prenataltrauma #specialneedsparenting #traumainformed #understandingfasd #whiteawakeparenting

What Every Parent Needs to Know About Prenatal Substance Exposure

If you're parenting a child with confusing behaviors, learning challenges, or emotional volatility—and nothing seems to work—it might be time to ask a deeper question:
Could this be FASD?

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) affe...

Reflections in Real Time

First: What is a QMHA?