This article is part of MI Mental Health, a new series highlighting the opportunities that Michigan's children, teens and adults of all ages have to find the mental health help they need, when and where they need it. It is made possible with funding from the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan and its community mental health (CMH) agency members.
Foster parents Tom and Tina Eastman first welcomed Charley into their home when she was 9 years old. They adopted her seven years later. Today, she has friends, a stable home life, and is doing well at school. However, the journey that brought Charley here wasn’t always easy.
“She was on like 16 medications,” says Tina Eastman. “She’s been through getting adopted several times and it not working. She’s been through several psych doctors, several CMH [community mental health] workers, several foster cares and facilities. We adopted her less than a year ago, and she’s on zero medication and doesn’t see a psych doctor and is only [getting counseling] through a counselor with CMH.”
“She’s come a long way,” Tom Eastman says.
