
For decades, the lack of mental health care in America has been swept under the rug. There are more than 43 million people diagnosed with a mental health issue, and it is widely suspected that the number of those undiagnosed is growing as well. There is no pill to make the issue go away; it will take a systemic change in order to shift the narrative. Unfortunately, most people in health care don’t know where to begin. The shift has already started, albeit very slowly, with the presence of Child Life Programs within health systems throughout the United States. If you have not had the opportunity to interact with a child life specialist, you are fortunate, because that means a child you are close to isn’t going through a tough time. I can tell you from firsthand experience that child life specialists are the unsung heroes in today’s health care system. The role of the child life department is to help children deal with whatever issue has brought them through the doors of the hospital. If a child is in a children’s hospital in this country, they will spend time with a child life specialist to help them cope with their issues in a healthy way. Care for physical ailments is very defined, especially in a hospital setting. If you’re in a car accident and have internal bleeding, surgery is prescribed. If you fall down a flight of stairs and break your arm, you will receive a cast. But what if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness, or are the lone survivor of a catastrophic accident, or have been abandoned—what happens next? Having a trained professional to talk to about the feelings and emotions you are dealing with is just as necessary as surgery or a cast, and hospitals like Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital (LLUCH) in Loma Linda, California, understand that better than most.