Meet Allie Likely. At just 12 years old, she was diagnosed with adjustment disorder with an anxious mood. Using the Pediatric Acute Telemental Health (PATH) program available at Nemours Children’s Health in Florida, Allie and her family found the care and tools they needed to move forward with confidence.
Her mother remembers when she first noticed something was wrong. “It appeared as though she was losing her light,” she said. “As a parent, I tried talking to her but felt that she was holding back. I felt she needed to talk to someone, so I started looking for resources.”
The changes in Allie’s behavior left her mom feeling uncertain and worried. “I noticed she wasn’t her usual self and was unsure if it was just the typical tween behavior, the newness of middle school, or the recent transition we had endured as a family. I felt as though I couldn’t reach my daughter and therefore couldn’t give her the proper support.” That search for help eventually led them to the PATH program at Nemours Children’s.
Through PATH, Allie began working with Danielle, a recent master’s level counseling graduate from University of North Florida, under the supervision of Psychologist Lisa Buckloh, PhD. “Danielle was amazing,” her mom shared. “She was very attentive and made my daughter feel seen as well as easy for her to talk to. That made such a difference for us.”
Dr. Buckloh commented, “In addition to working with Allie and her mother in the short-term, Danielle provided the family with mental health referrals in their community. Now they have options for therapy close to home in case Allie needs services in the future. As a supervisor, I love to see our PATH providers and families really connect and work together to meet the child’s or teen’s needs.”
Today, Allie is thriving. “I am feeling well about Allie’s progression and we were provided with helpful tools and strategies to assist with the challenges and pressures she may face,” her mom explained. “My hope is that in the future she can apply the strategies provided to work through some of the challenges.”
Looking back, Allie’s mom has one message for other families: “Please reach out to PATH. It has been such an impactful program for my family and is what I have shared with friends and parents with teenagers.”
