Couneling Help for Depressed Child

This is a horrible situation to be in.
I'm a single mom and it's so hard sometimes.
I often felt like I got two steps ahead and three steps behind no matter how hard I tried.
I am in California so things might be different here. But, ask if there is a school counselor. My son saw his weekly because his dad was obviously tearing him apart and affecting his schoolwork, etc.
Also, you should have a county health department that you can call. They can give you resources. Or...they should be able to. There are lots of places for people in your shoes that charge on a sliding scale or are free.
Especially when it comes to a child, they do try to help you. Here, we have Catholic Charities and you don't have to be Catholic or even religious, but they have resources. We also have the Healthy Families program which is for children. I don't know if Texas has an equivelant.
Make an emergency appointment with your pediatrician before your benefits run out for your son and ask for referrals and resources. If your son truly is depressed, surely his doctor would be willing to lead you somewhere that can help.

I hope you get some great responses from people who are familiar with your area. Make the most of the time you have left for benefits and line up some back ups.

I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

The good news is that healthcare reform is a done deal, so at some point you will have access. You might check out the White House website to find out the specific start date.

For your son, watch for the free healthcare clinics popping up across the country. Remote Area Medical is one group providing these services. They may be able to help with counseling and medication. Our seven-year-old also had depression, but now takes Celexa and his outlook is bright. He went from glass-half-empty to glass-half-full.

Good luck!

Doesn't Texas have any guaranteed health care for kids?

As for the friend aspect--is he in any activities outside of school? Maybe a sport or self defense class would boost his self esteem--really anything he's interested in learning or already is good at would be good.

Does he talk to you about feeling lonely? It's hard for kids to understand/believe that a popular kid O. day can be the outcast the next day....saying a prayer for your son. He sounds like a special sensitive little soul.

Many church based programs will offer counseling for free. You could also try a church based program to get your son involved in to help him make some new friends. They usually have something similar to boy scouts.

You could also look into a Big Brothers Big Sisters program for a mentor for your son. They would also be able to assist you with some counseling for your son.

Also call your local department of social services. You should be able to get a free assessment for your son and if he is depressed should be able to get free services from you county.

I don't know if they do counseling but have you tried a boys and girls club? It might give him some one on one time with an older male figure.
Take him in and ask the pediatrician anyway. You still have 2 weeks.

I know in our area there are organizations that offer counseling and are based on a sliding fee scale. It's a good choice to talk to your pediatrician. Also, most public schools have social workers. I would contact your school and see if they do. If so he could receive counseling from them and they should have some numbers of local counselors/ organizations that charge based on your income. Good luck.

J.,

I know this is coming to you late but I empathize with your situation. My suggestion for your oldest is maybe a big brother mentoring program. He may just need someone to look up to..I dont know if someone other than yourself is in his life or not but its worth a try. I have a lil boy myself and I know that growing period can be very intense...good luck.

I found a couple in your area:
https://www.211texas.org
I checked under adolescent/youth counseling in Katy

Wow -don't you love that? I'm sure you don't think you make too much money to get government healthcare! I'm sorry that's happening to your kids. I would go ahead and take him to the pediatrician and get some references. Be honest with the pediatrician about the financial issues. MANY therapists -especially pediatric therapists will work on a sliding scale or work with you to make payments. Good for you for wanting to seek some professional help for your son. He shouldn't be depressed at his age, and there may be an easy solution, but I'm glad you're going to find someone to for him to talk to.