Georgia doesn't have enough mental health providers, but the need is only growing

For years, Hillside has provided residential and outpatient mental health treatment for kids and teens on their Atlanta campus, nestled in a forested neighborhood near Piedmont Park.

Since the pandemic, the young patients coming to Hillside have been arriving more ill. Many have tried to harm themselves. The symptoms are more intense and the waitlist for care is long.

“These kiddos are desperate,” says Dr. Adam Silberman, Hillside’s medical director. “They’ve been on God knows how many medication regimens and through different providers, and they’re sicker than ever before, and we try to put the pieces together as much as we can in the time we’re allotted, based on insurance, which doesn’t provide a lot.”