Wits End

A first of its kind online resource for parents who struggle to find help for their children challenged by mental illness. The time-consuming process of finding high-quality, appropriate and affordable mental health care services for children and adolescents can leave parents “at their wit’s end.” @Wit’s End is a start-up organization that is developing a user-friendly website dedicated to facilitating that process. As the mental health of children and adolescents becomes an issue of increasing concern to policy-makers and health care professionals, and of course, parents,@Wit’s End is poised to become a valuable resource with considerable potential for growth.@Wit’s End is in a nascent stage; it has the flexibility to develop according to the needs of its target demographic. It has the potential to help millions of families find the professional services and community support that they seek. How will it work? The @Wit’s End website will allow parents to use an algorithm to find the appropriate treatment for their child. Through a series of questions, parents will receive individualized resources and providers for their unique situation. A key component will be a “ways to pay” option which will include their insurance information as well as the ability to apply for an @Wit’s End grant. Unlike other referral sites,@Wit’s End will also provide rating systems by users and professionals and more importantly ALL resources will be listed, not just those that are paid advertisers. We expect to have a fair number of resources listed upon launch, but will gain more through crowdsourcing. All resources will be vetted by @Wit’s End administrative staff and the rating system will be objective. There is also a social component to @Wit’s End. Being the parent of a special needs child is an isolating experience. As one mother put it “nobody brings you a casserole when your child is having an episode.”