klmno
Active Member
I just got home. difficult child is still in juvy but here's what happened. First, I found out he was charged with malicious wounding, which I wasn't sure that should be the correct charge because the only actual wound I got was a superficial scratch on the back of my wrist- I thought thhere was a charge like "threat" or intimidation with a weapon. But anyway, I went to see the PO while waiting for the arraignment to show her the scratch and make sure she knew what had happened. She didn't care and said he was going to be held, he wasn't coming back home. I asked about getting him in a psychiatric hospital and she rolled her eyes and said no, he's been in and they let him out so they obviously don't think he needs anything more. (It's pointless trying to explain the mental health issues and process with her.) I told her (and later the judge) that a gentleman from detention called me late last night concerned over difficult child and his "issues" and that he had seen difficult child's arm and could tell he had previously been cutting. PO claimed she never knew that- I said yes, you did. I know she did- plus she was copied my letter to judge that says he was admitted to psychiatric hospital in Dec for self-harming behavior. (I think because she doesn't beleive in mental health problems, she tends to blow them all off and forget about anything I tell her along those lines)
Then, an attny on call met up with me. I showed her the scratch and gave her a copy of my letter to the judge that I happened to take with me this morning. I told her that the judge had agreed to hear my request to get difficult child into a psychiatric Residential Treatment Center (RTC), but the hearing date had not been set yet. I told her my son should be in psychiatric hospital. She had gone to see difficult child earlier this morning and he told her he wanted to go to psychiatric hospital. I also told this attny what PO's position was and what she was going to say and that the psychiatric hospital released difficult child 2 weeks ago because my insurance only covers acute stays and pays for a stay of 3-7 days and they couldn't find quick funding to get him straight to psychiatric Residential Treatment Center (RTC), so I put that letter and request into judge. She started reading that letter I'd written to judge and took off. Then she went into the courtroom, then the PO was called into the courtroom.
This courtroom was not difficult child's judge that always hears his cases- this was a different one for arraignment only. Well, last year we found out that difficult child's favorite teacher- who happens to think a lot of difficult child and she and I have emailed several times (she was his accelerated math teacher and on his iep team last year and they buy each other little gifts)- is married to a judge over there. We got lucky- that turned out to be difficult child's arraigning judge.
So, then I got called into courtroom. They had difficult child on tv instead of in courtroom. They couldn't find difficult child's file. I told them I knew where it was- it was on Judge A's clerk's pile of stuff to set a hearing date for a misc motion because I just checked the status of it yesterday. He sent his clerk, and she brought the file right back. Then, attny gave judge a copy of my letter that had been written to Judge A 2 weeks ago. Attny told judge that I'd like to take difficult child to psychiatric hospital. Judge said he wasn't comfortable doing that because he didn't want to release difficult child to me after what just happened and we needed a cooling off period and PO said he'd been in psychiatric hospital before and he was released because they didn't think he needed to be held there . Judge said well, maybe he can get into state hospital- which may be in our best interest. (I hadn't thought of that, but at this point, it could lead to pysch Residential Treatment Center (RTC) with a fairly straight path, maybe). Judge said that would take a competency evaluation from mental health and was looking thru file to see results of previous one done. He couldn't find it at first so he asked if anyone knew if one had been completed before and what results were. I said yes, one had been done but they had trouble finding it at court that time, but the results were that difficult child was not competent. PO said she didn't know if one had ever been done before or not (she said this in a way that tried to sound like she wouldn't just take my word for it). Then, judge found it and he said it states that difficult child was found incompetent but that it was thought it was due to maturation.
Then he commented on all the psychiatric related stuff in difficult child's file and ask if the previously ordered mst services were ever fulfilled. PO said that I had stopped them because I wasn't happy with them. I said your honor, it wasn't that I wasn't happy with them, it was that I had my son evaluation'd at XXXX (considered a state expert place) and got written recommendations regarding my son and it was found that my son does not have conduct disorder, he has mood cycling and mst was not the recommended treatment for him, CBT was, so I requested the judge to change her order, and she did, because I was trying to do WHAT. WAS. IN. MY. SON'S. BEST. INTERST. (I was looking at the PO at that point)
Then judge kind of smirked but looked at me like a warning. (Yes, I know) Then he looked at tv monitor and told difficult child that he knew one of his favorite teachers quite well because he was married to her and that he was very disappointed in difficult child because he had heard a whole lot about him. Then he looked at me and said -for that reason, he would never hear an actual case on difficult child. I nodded that I understood. So, he ordered that gal get back on board, difficult child gets a court appointed attorney- they asked why I had replaced court appointed attny before and I said it was because they had no time to spend on case and talk with me and difficult child before court. Another attny in there said he would commit to it and assure me that he would find time for us this time, and I said ok. Then, judge ordered another competency evaluation since the other was 2 years old, and said it was to include an evaluation for need to go to state psychiatric hospital and they told me to contact difficult child's gal right away to get her updated so she can make sure that the evaluation is done ASAP- not 3 weeks from now like last time- and let her help move things "in the right direction" quickly. He set a court date for late Feb. And that was it- he didn't asked PO's opinion or CA's attny's opinion.
I'm really glad that I had gotten all that in difficult child's file before and that I happened to take a copy of that letter with me this morning and that difficult child did not do any crime outside the home in the "community" or at school and I did show everyone in court, including judge, the scratch on my arm so they would know that it was stopped before it got to a point of needing medical attention. Really, I can't believe that the people in court would buy PO's image and portrayal that I'm the resistant problem and difficult child's mental health is an excuse. There are 2 judge's now who seem to have taken it serious, at least that's the way I view it.
What do you all think? Is state psychiatric hospital, where they can keep difficult child as long as they feel it's needed then lead him to psychiatric Residential Treatment Center (RTC), the best option you see at this point? When the kids are locked in detention, I can't even count on staff to give him his medications regularly or correctly. They messed them up 3 times in 2 weeks last year.
If difficult child does go to state psychiatric hospital, I don't think he would be there too long because they are closing it- I just don't know when.
Then, an attny on call met up with me. I showed her the scratch and gave her a copy of my letter to the judge that I happened to take with me this morning. I told her that the judge had agreed to hear my request to get difficult child into a psychiatric Residential Treatment Center (RTC), but the hearing date had not been set yet. I told her my son should be in psychiatric hospital. She had gone to see difficult child earlier this morning and he told her he wanted to go to psychiatric hospital. I also told this attny what PO's position was and what she was going to say and that the psychiatric hospital released difficult child 2 weeks ago because my insurance only covers acute stays and pays for a stay of 3-7 days and they couldn't find quick funding to get him straight to psychiatric Residential Treatment Center (RTC), so I put that letter and request into judge. She started reading that letter I'd written to judge and took off. Then she went into the courtroom, then the PO was called into the courtroom.
This courtroom was not difficult child's judge that always hears his cases- this was a different one for arraignment only. Well, last year we found out that difficult child's favorite teacher- who happens to think a lot of difficult child and she and I have emailed several times (she was his accelerated math teacher and on his iep team last year and they buy each other little gifts)- is married to a judge over there. We got lucky- that turned out to be difficult child's arraigning judge.
So, then I got called into courtroom. They had difficult child on tv instead of in courtroom. They couldn't find difficult child's file. I told them I knew where it was- it was on Judge A's clerk's pile of stuff to set a hearing date for a misc motion because I just checked the status of it yesterday. He sent his clerk, and she brought the file right back. Then, attny gave judge a copy of my letter that had been written to Judge A 2 weeks ago. Attny told judge that I'd like to take difficult child to psychiatric hospital. Judge said he wasn't comfortable doing that because he didn't want to release difficult child to me after what just happened and we needed a cooling off period and PO said he'd been in psychiatric hospital before and he was released because they didn't think he needed to be held there . Judge said well, maybe he can get into state hospital- which may be in our best interest. (I hadn't thought of that, but at this point, it could lead to pysch Residential Treatment Center (RTC) with a fairly straight path, maybe). Judge said that would take a competency evaluation from mental health and was looking thru file to see results of previous one done. He couldn't find it at first so he asked if anyone knew if one had been completed before and what results were. I said yes, one had been done but they had trouble finding it at court that time, but the results were that difficult child was not competent. PO said she didn't know if one had ever been done before or not (she said this in a way that tried to sound like she wouldn't just take my word for it). Then, judge found it and he said it states that difficult child was found incompetent but that it was thought it was due to maturation.
Then he commented on all the psychiatric related stuff in difficult child's file and ask if the previously ordered mst services were ever fulfilled. PO said that I had stopped them because I wasn't happy with them. I said your honor, it wasn't that I wasn't happy with them, it was that I had my son evaluation'd at XXXX (considered a state expert place) and got written recommendations regarding my son and it was found that my son does not have conduct disorder, he has mood cycling and mst was not the recommended treatment for him, CBT was, so I requested the judge to change her order, and she did, because I was trying to do WHAT. WAS. IN. MY. SON'S. BEST. INTERST. (I was looking at the PO at that point)
Then judge kind of smirked but looked at me like a warning. (Yes, I know) Then he looked at tv monitor and told difficult child that he knew one of his favorite teachers quite well because he was married to her and that he was very disappointed in difficult child because he had heard a whole lot about him. Then he looked at me and said -for that reason, he would never hear an actual case on difficult child. I nodded that I understood. So, he ordered that gal get back on board, difficult child gets a court appointed attorney- they asked why I had replaced court appointed attny before and I said it was because they had no time to spend on case and talk with me and difficult child before court. Another attny in there said he would commit to it and assure me that he would find time for us this time, and I said ok. Then, judge ordered another competency evaluation since the other was 2 years old, and said it was to include an evaluation for need to go to state psychiatric hospital and they told me to contact difficult child's gal right away to get her updated so she can make sure that the evaluation is done ASAP- not 3 weeks from now like last time- and let her help move things "in the right direction" quickly. He set a court date for late Feb. And that was it- he didn't asked PO's opinion or CA's attny's opinion.
I'm really glad that I had gotten all that in difficult child's file before and that I happened to take a copy of that letter with me this morning and that difficult child did not do any crime outside the home in the "community" or at school and I did show everyone in court, including judge, the scratch on my arm so they would know that it was stopped before it got to a point of needing medical attention. Really, I can't believe that the people in court would buy PO's image and portrayal that I'm the resistant problem and difficult child's mental health is an excuse. There are 2 judge's now who seem to have taken it serious, at least that's the way I view it.
What do you all think? Is state psychiatric hospital, where they can keep difficult child as long as they feel it's needed then lead him to psychiatric Residential Treatment Center (RTC), the best option you see at this point? When the kids are locked in detention, I can't even count on staff to give him his medications regularly or correctly. They messed them up 3 times in 2 weeks last year.
If difficult child does go to state psychiatric hospital, I don't think he would be there too long because they are closing it- I just don't know when.
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