Heads Up!

Lacee Feltman cares for kids with mental health conditions.

There’s mental health crisis in the U.S. And half of all life-time mental illnesses begin by age 14.

“I think social media has a big part to play in that, the changing world and the expectations that we have,” says Lacee Feltman, PMHNP (psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner). Feltman specializes in treating children, from age 8 to 16.”

In rural America, the problem is magnified because many people simply don’t have access to mental healthcare. That’s why we are especially pleased to introduce Feltman and to make her services available to the Dawson community.

Feltman understands the mental health challenge in rural areas. She grew up in Chamberlain, South Dakota, where she started working in a nursing home at age 16. That’s when she made the decision to pursue nursing as a career. Later, in college, she found herself drawn to psychiatric classes.

Two of the most common conditions Feltman works with are ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and depression. She flags several ADHD symptoms for parents to look for, “Sometimes the child will act out and struggle with paying attention and then distracting other children. And when they lose focus within a couple minutes of doing something they enjoy.”

As for depression in children and teens, she holds out social media as one of the main culprits. As a mother and clinical practitioner, Feltman underscores the necessity of checking your children’s phones, and “to lo

ok for hurtful things like bullying,” she says. “That’s what my daughter and me do, and that’s what I encourage parents to do.”
She also recommends that kids have a life outside of technology and have a social life in the real world. “That way, they have social support in case of bullying.”

To schedule an appointment with Feltman, go through your primary care doctor and a referral will be sent. Parents will then
receive a packet of information to fill out for background before the first appointment.

Feltman loves seeing her patients improve over time. “We ought to be willing to talk to our kids about how they’re feeling.”

JMHS has three mental health providers that treat children and adults both in-person and via telemedicine.