Behavior Health Care is a unique approach to whole-person/whole-family care which is intended to integrate care of a person’s behavioral, mental, and physical well-being. BHC services facilitate development of skills and achievement of goals when emotional, social, behavioral, or adjustment concerns about physical or other life problems interfere with you/your child’s daily functioning.
At Childhood Health Associates of Salem, we recognize that substance use and abuse are becoming a growing problem in the population of children, adolescents, and young adults. We are aware that only one agency in our service area currently offers comprehensive outpatient services for drug and alcohol treatment for youth under the age of 18,…
What is Self-Harm? Self-harm is when someone hurts themselves on purpose as a way of trying to manage distressing or overwhelming feelings and experiences. Someone who is self-harming might be dealing with lots of intense thoughts and feelings, and hurting themselves may feel like the only way to cope. Or, they might feel numb and…
What is perinatal depression? Perinatal depression is a mood disorder that can affect women during pregnancy and after childbirth. The word “perinatal” refers to the time before and after the birth of a child. Perinatal depression includes depression that begins during pregnancy (called prenatal depression) and depression that begins after the baby is born (called…
Whether you are a first time parent, a resource parent, Parenting again, Parenting multiple children, Adoption Parenting, We can all agree that parenting is hard! There is no such thing as a perfect parent, but there is such thing as a parent who is “Good Enough”. At CHAOS we strive to support parents from…
Supporting Your LGBTQIA+ Child The day your child comes out to you is an emotional day for both of you. Whether you had a feeling all along, or the news was a surprise, the most important thing for you to do is to listen, accept them for who they are, and do your best to…
What causes a headache? The exact cause of headaches is not completely understood. It is thought that many headaches are the result of tight muscles and dilated, or expanded, blood vessels in the head. Although migraine headaches were previously thought to be due to dilated blood vessels in the brain, newer theories suggest that changes…
What are Behavior Challenges? Children sometimes argue, are aggressive, act angry or defiant around others. These behaviors become concerning once they are uncommon for the child’s age at the time, persist over a long period of time, occur in more than one setting, impact personal relationships, or safety is an issue. Common Behavior Challenges Defiance…
What is ADHD? Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children. Symptoms of ADHD include inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excess movement that is not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought). ADHD is often first identified in school-aged…
What is Depression? Occasionally being sad or feeling hopeless is a part of every child’s life. However, some children feel sad or uninterested in things that they used to enjoy, or feel helpless or hopeless in situations they are able to change. Some children may not talk about their helpless and hopeless thoughts, and may…
What is Anxiety? Anxiety is a mental and physical reaction to perceived threats. In small doses, anxiety is helpful. It protects us from danger, and focuses our attention on problems. But when anxiety is too severe, or occurs too frequently, it can become debilitating. Anxiety may present as fear or worry, but can also make…