Hi All,
I posted about a week ago about our 9 year old, difficult child's violent outbursts and how kicking, hitting, and even biting has become an all too common occurance in our home. In looking for HELP, I contacted the mental health association who put me in touch with a program called family preservation. Don't get me wrong, we are thrilled to have help and this is a team of counselors that is providing 5 hours/week in-home service (free of charge), but one of the things we were asked to sign was a safety contract. It listed the procedures for calling the counselor on call and what behaviors constituted an unsafe home(ie,sucicide threats, threats of violence, violent behavior, running away, etc).
So I ask..."After observing difficult child the other day and seeing several violent outbursts in just a few hours time, do you think this is a same home environment?"
"Well," she replies, "it really varies based on your individual situation. You have been used to dealing with this kind of behavior so you may not need to call a counselor since you are able to handle it."
I ask, "Is there a particular number of times I have to be kicked or hit before it becomes unsafe?"
"No," she says, " you should be able to feel safe at home."
"Can you help us?" I ask.
She was honest and said that it may require hospitalization to adjust medications. or inpatient care and that since they are able to observe first hand what is happening in the home, they can be our biggest advocate in getting the necessary services. This alone, makes it worth it. We have been asking for help and no one (p'doctor included) seems to understand the severity of the situation. She complimented our parenting skills and said that they would development a treatment plan that focuses on working directly with difficult child on anger mangement and social skills. This is exciting and we are pleased to have someone in our corner.
I'll keep you updated as things progess.
Christy
I posted about a week ago about our 9 year old, difficult child's violent outbursts and how kicking, hitting, and even biting has become an all too common occurance in our home. In looking for HELP, I contacted the mental health association who put me in touch with a program called family preservation. Don't get me wrong, we are thrilled to have help and this is a team of counselors that is providing 5 hours/week in-home service (free of charge), but one of the things we were asked to sign was a safety contract. It listed the procedures for calling the counselor on call and what behaviors constituted an unsafe home(ie,sucicide threats, threats of violence, violent behavior, running away, etc).
So I ask..."After observing difficult child the other day and seeing several violent outbursts in just a few hours time, do you think this is a same home environment?"
"Well," she replies, "it really varies based on your individual situation. You have been used to dealing with this kind of behavior so you may not need to call a counselor since you are able to handle it."
I ask, "Is there a particular number of times I have to be kicked or hit before it becomes unsafe?"
"No," she says, " you should be able to feel safe at home."
"Can you help us?" I ask.
She was honest and said that it may require hospitalization to adjust medications. or inpatient care and that since they are able to observe first hand what is happening in the home, they can be our biggest advocate in getting the necessary services. This alone, makes it worth it. We have been asking for help and no one (p'doctor included) seems to understand the severity of the situation. She complimented our parenting skills and said that they would development a treatment plan that focuses on working directly with difficult child on anger mangement and social skills. This is exciting and we are pleased to have someone in our corner.
I'll keep you updated as things progess.
Christy
