'I just want to get a bed': Family endures harrowing mental health crisis

Mar. 31—Shannon Sanford and her 14-year-old son lived out their own nightmare version of the movie "Groundhog Day" for nearly two weeks.

Sanford heard the same disappointing news on repeat: "No bed today, we'll see about tomorrow."

Her son spent 11 recent days in the emergency room at Beverly Hospital — part of the stay in a hallway for lack of space — as he waited to be transferred to a psychiatric facility.

The Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association reports that hundreds of psychiatric patients across the state have found themselves in the same situation.

They say psychiatric units are largely unavailable because of staffing shortages and a sharp spike in mental health and substance use disorders during and following the pandemic. The backlog of cases has caused a historic issue.

Sanford agreed to share her family's story with the condition that her son's name not be published for privacy reasons.

For her family, a stroke of good luck came after 11 days in the Emergency Department of Beverly Hospital about 40 minutes from home. She found out he'd be transferred to TaraVista Behavioral Health Center in Devens.

The boy left Beverly Hospital on March 9 for treatment after his fourth time being hospitalized and by-far the longest wait for specialized services.

At most, he had spent two days in an emergency room before transferring to a treatment center in the past.

His mother knew the process, but felt exhausted by the latest experience.

Her teen is diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and has seen a therapist for years. He is also autistic, Sanford said.

His father unexpectedly died three years ago. and as he suffers from that trauma, his mother has watched his mental health spiral.

Sanford knew her son needed help a few weeks ago when he told her about seeing figures and voices that told him to hurt others.

She picked up her phone and dialed a crisis hotline, leaving her no opinion about where he would land for treatment.

His other hospitalizations were much closer to their Haverhill home, which helped the mother of two care for her adult child, who also has autism.

"He (the younger son) told me one night, 'I just want to get a bed so I can get this over with and go home,'" she said.

She describes nightly chaos of patients threatening hospital staff and bystanders, while others were intoxicated or overdosing.

Sounds of screaming and banging on doors were common, but no less alarming as days passed.

"No child or adult with mental health (issues) should be in this type of situation," Sanford said.

As a mother, she felt helpless. The waiting game was not something she wanted her boy to endure.

But that's what the 14-year-old's time became.

He didn't have access to a therapist.

His medications were altered.

Nurses filed in and out. Doctors stopped in for quick greetings or telehealth visits.

Her son just waited.

"As a mother, it's the most frustrating thing because you want to help your child," Sanford said. "There's nothing I can do except be there for him."

And he waited.

Most days he napped because he was anxious or bored.

Sanford said security guards would check in. They tried to reassure the boy that he wasn't alone.

The unpredictable sounds of the hospital scared him, and at times he wasn't able to process what was happening around him. He didn't know if other patients wanted to hurt him, Sanford said.

She stayed with him every night.

"You are supposed to help your children," Sanford said. "There's nothing I can do except make it as comfortable of an experience as possible and I can't even do that when people are screaming."

She believes the most recent stay will have lasting implications on her son's well-being, specifically the sights and sounds he was exposed to while boarding in the emergency room.

"There has to be a better plan than boarding children for any amount of time in a public emergency room where they can see anything and everything," she said.

While Beverly Hospital said it could not comment on experience of Sanford's son due to patient privacy law, hospital spokesman Sonya Vartabedian said, "The health and safety of our patients is of utmost importance to us, and we are committed to delivering exceptional care fostered by a culture of safety, compassion and respect for all of our patients.

"Behavioral health boarding is a serious concern across hospitals both nationwide and in Massachusetts, and the number of patients needing inpatient behavioral health services in the state is significantly greater than the current number of beds available," she continued. "We are very grateful to a broad range of partners, including the Department of Mental Health, who work closely with us in a shared effort to find patients the inpatient resources they need in a very limited resource landscape."

When Sanford's son was transferred to a mental health facility March 9, he stayed only seven days — less time than he boarded at the emergency room.

Treatment was cut short when he fell victim to bullying, Sanford was told.

She does not think his time spent at the mental health facility was long enough for any lasting impact.

"He's going to end up being hospitalized again because nothing was done there to help him in the long run," she said.

She believes the mental health care system needs a reboot.

"My qualms are not with the hospital," she said. "It's with the mental health care system. These kids are suffering enough. It's not right."

More information about and updates on Behavioral Health Boarding is available by visiting the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association website, http://bit.ly/42XiZjE.

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