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Helping children and teens thrive physically and mentally is a goal for every parent and community member. But given the challenges kids face today – from bullying on social media to feeling isolated despite living in a 24/7 connected world – their mental health and wellness is at risk.
To help parents and others identify vulnerable kids and know how to help, Emmy-winning production company eMediaWorks produced a new documentary, “Give Me Shelter: Teens in Crisis.” The program airs on WFMZ-TV, Saturday, Feb. 17, at 6:30 p.m.
Four Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) and Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital colleagues are featured in the program: Elizabeth Mutter, DO, Chief, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; child and adolescent psychiatrist Dhana Ramasamy, MD; pediatrician Maria Aramburu, MD; and Thespina Godshalk, Director of School-Based Behavioral Health. Each shares insights from her work in child and adolescent behavioral health.
Michael and Christine Perrucci, a local couple dedicated to improving children’s health, supported the production of “Give Me Shelter: Teens in Crisis.” The Perruccis, longtime friends of Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, established the Michael & Christine Perrucci Center for Children’s Health and Wellbeing in 2022. The center focuses on improving children’s well-being on many levels, not least of which is their mental and emotional health.
This is the second documentary of the Give Me Shelter series produced by eMediaWorks. Last year, “Give Me Shelter: Suicide” powerfully addressed complex issues related to suicide. The documentary included interviews with families who lost a loved one to suicide as well as with LVHN behavioral health professionals. The program won a regional Emmy award in the Societal Concerns long form category from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences–Mid-Atlantic Chapter.