After a 12-hr shift, Amber was walking the few blocks to her car when she noticed a child walking in the street. She recognized the child as a patient who had been discharged from our unit earlier that day.

Knowing that a child of that age shouldn’t be wandering the streets that late alone, Amber approached her and found out that she had run away from home. CPS had placed the child with a distant family member. Amber alerted the police who told her they had been looking for the child for hours. Amber waited with the child until the police came and for quite some time afterward as she was able to calm the child and talk her into returning home with another family member.

Taking the time to ensure this child was safe, kept Amber away from her own children for several hours after she would have normally returned home. We are all grateful for her efforts.