lapse in care

Jena

New Member
hi,

unreal is all i can say........ remember how i called my pyschiatrist from portland to put the referral in for difficult child services.

well, i have been calling pyschiatrist since my return with-no call back. long story short i called directly to the agency you have to work through. NO REFERRAL HAD BEEN PUT THRU. yup i said it, nada has been done.

so i ask the woman ok i get how this works i worked for you guys, tell me how to push it thru. she tells me THERE IS A 3 MOS. WAITING LIST.

now, do we all get why there are so many messed up kids with-o the proper care here in new york?

I am so livid right now
 
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Bunny

Guest
A 3 month wait for psychiatric care for a child is ridiculous! What are you supposed to do for her in the mean time?

Pam
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I'd suggest you move, but that won't help. It's not just New York.

How can they say that? I'm sorry, that's insane. I'm praying for you guys.
 
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PatriotsGirl

Guest
Yup, every psychiatrtist out here is a three month waiting list. It is truly unbelievable....if some one needs services, how can they wait three months???
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
This is like the local VA - husband is still trying to get in for counseling - from a year ago!!! I told him we should just have my guy bill it as marital. It is, after all.

Three months. Wow. I mean, it's bad here, but - !!!!!
 

JJJ

Active Member
Wait here is often 6 months - 1 year. What is so frustrating is that Tigger's therapist left the county clinic for private practice; she offered to take all 30 of her clients (all hard to reach boys) and see them pro-bono and send the reports to the county psychiatrist. That would have freed up 30 spots for kids on the waiting list. THEY THREATENED HER WITH LEGAL ACTION IF SHE SAW ANY OF THE PATIENTS. It made no sense, we all complained and nada. It took them 1 year to reassign Tigger to a new therapist. So for 1 year, as far as they were concerned, Tigger wasn't getting any therapy (luckily it coincided with a great school therapist).
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Its the same thing most everywhere. My psychiatrist has a 5 month or more waiting list for new patients. I was lucky enough to be considered a returning patient when I came back to them after leaving them when I lost insurance or I would have had to wait to be re-enrolled. I think they just felt sorry for me really and knew I didnt stop coming because I was being non-compliant. The second I had insurance I called them and they worked me back in. Now I have been lucky enough with finding a new therapist. My old therapist found one and recommended us both to each other and greased the wheels. I havent had the extended waiting time. I made the appointment two weeks ago, went today and will see him again in two weeks.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I am sorry. This is the wait for almost any specialist here. When Jess had the supposed heart problems a few years back they gave us paperwork to get a defibrillator paid for by insurance but we couldn't see the pediatrician cardio for 3 mos while the diagnosis they gave us meant her heart could stop at any point if seh didn't have medications. We were told to keep her home from school until she saw the cardio doctor. I was furious and terrified!! Our pediatrician got us in for a check in a couple days, thankfully, and it was all a mistake because the test was done wrong, but the wait was crazy.

Often the waiting lists can be influenced if you know the right people. Get online and look up your state representatives to state AND federal gov't. Then start calling them for help - this is an URGENT need that is possibly life threatening if she cannot get help to make sure the phobia doesn't push her to stop eating again.

It is pretty amazing what having a Rep or Senator helping you can do to get help with services like this. Also look up the state dept that oversees the program. Find out who is in charge and ask them what to do and how to do it to get help. Don't get angry, yell or threaten. Crying is often MUCH more helpful, esp when they try to say they cannot do "anything". It makes them feel like they are heartless and cold to the plight of a sick child, where anger makes them defensive and angry. Don't cry at first, but if you keep not getting results then it can be a big help.
 

Jena

New Member
i'm sorry to hear that all of you in one way or another are experiencing the same thing yet in a different way. there should be a place for ppl who do care, doctor's who got into the business for the right reasons not just the kick backs and the money and overbooking patients. sort of like a legal aid yet for mental health care in each state across the country where fees would be on a sliding scale, quality ppl and doctor's would offer help to families and truly make a difference. wish i was younger so i could make it.

it took me being me to get the pysch doctor on phone stating come in today, he sat confused about what her name is as usual what her diagnosis is that he gave her to get the application from the place and fill it out with-us and take the time because i made him "take the time" yet we'll still wait forever.

inbetween some nutty i thought capable therapist called and i thought wow i got lucky finally. she made appointment would do both therapy and family therapy piece booked appointment for thursday than called as i was in pysch doctor's office for 2 hours to say that she madea mistake (AFTER I TOLD difficult child THURS IS NEW THERAPIST appointment) and she had to reschedule for two weeks later and that she wasnt' sure that she took my insurance yet she thought she did. this woman was highly off the mark, couldnt' even handle the phone conversation and i nicely said no thank you.

wow! got one another place a cbt place i had in mind prior to her hospitaization yet their a practice which gets sticky with-hours and family therapy piece and often do not have the best therapists yet i'm calling him back tmrw. she needs care in the interim.

she began last night yelling how her heart hurt she had to go to hospital. husband and i couldtn' call it. we watched for for a while trying to figure out anxiety, behavioral, BiPolar (BP), what's the deal here. we've brought her before to e.r. when she was just fine due to random complaints. and she is on zyprexa and we all know the great risk with-that medication sudden cardiac failure. hate medications. bigtime. i hate this one now since i looked it up last night i dont' feel like i want her on it anymore. so we weren't really sure.

yet she said one thing that rang anxiety and attention seeking so we put her to bed and she fell asleep. yet woke totally covered in urine even with pull up on yea she'll be twelve in two weeks. dysfunctional anyone??
 
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