Omg!!!

[Jungleland]

I cannot believe this! My phone just rang, it was Mental Health office. difficult child has a psychiatrist appointment 8/12, I assumed they were calling to reschedule, as per usual. But no!!!

They were calling to CANCEL the appointment. The new psychiatrist they finally got is NOT qualified to see children. They will call us when/if they get one who is.

I then asked if they will still refill difficult child's medications. Nope, go to the ER!! I am in a state of shock. How can they do this? This is our county mental health.

We do not have insurance to cover mental illness so her 26.5 covers the county MH. It will NOT cover a private psychiatrist.

If we go the ER route, we'd have to bring her back each and every month for the refills.

I am too upset to think clearly. Any of you know who we should call about this situation?

 

[klmno]

Geez....I won't get political but I read in the news yesterday that a WHOLE lot of public benefits and state jobs just got cut due to the budget problems. I suppose you know that already. If I were you and not knowing what else to do, I would call the state agency for mental health and ask them what you are supposed to do. It sure would have been nice if the psychiatrist (old one) could have have put a few more refills on the rx, huh?

 

[Jungleland]

OK, got my bearings. Just sent off a stongly worded email to MH Supervisor, asst Supervisor, Case Manager and therapist. Someone had better get back to me soon or I will drive there on Monday and demand answers.

Why in the world would they hire a psychiatrist NOT qualified to take care of children when they see a TON of kids there?!?!?!

Errrrr! Another reason I am hating living in CA!!!!

 

[DaisyFace]

Jungleland--

Can your regular doctor prescribe the medications? He won't be any good for medication changes, but at least he can get you the refills...

--DaisyF

 

[susiestar]

If you don't get answers with the emails you have sent you might look into whoever provides the funding. When we had Soonercare (medicaid for kids) I got the best results from calling the number on the card.

This is so frustrating and even scary. Imagine the problems with sudden withdrawal from some of the medications our kids are on. Esp the antiseizure medications that are also used for mood stabilization. Depakote is one of those medications. It can be very dangerous to stop it suddenly.

 

[MaryB]

Hi,

I have to state the same as DaisyFace. Can your regular doctor prescribe? I'm kinda in the same boat. difficult child is 18 and his psychiatrist can do longer see him (County MHMR). However, he gave us a lot of refills (which will run out due to the expiration) but difficult child's Onc can continue to get the trileptal filled. Just a suggestion.

MaryB

 

[Momslittleangels]

Gotta love the state of CA - NOT.....My difficult child uses Medi-Cal and I am worried that those benefits will be cut back or eliminated, with the new budget cuts. Maybe you can also check with the makers of the drugs...some will give free prescriptions. It may not be much or for long, but maybe it would tide you over until they get a new doctor. Sorry you are going through this.

 

[totoro]

What a crock! We had to use our pediatrician also. When we had no psychiatrist up in Idaho.

We also used a long distance psychiatrist who worked with our pediatrician and we saw the psychiatrist only once a awhile. Maybe another county has a psychiatrist that can take you and you can see them every few months and they might work with your pediatrician?
So sorry things are like this

 

[JJJ]

I agree with everyone else, maybe your regular doctor will write the scripts for refills.

That is one of the prime reasons I am pushing so hard for psychiatrist to finish Eeyore's medwash as fast as safely possible. Once he is down to just Concerta, our regular doctor will prescribe and that just leaves Kanga and Tigger with psychiatrists. While our state budget is limping along and supposedly my children are covered by the class action suit just won on behalf of foster children and subsidized-adopted children, I am not counting on it.

 

[Wiped Out]

Talk about frustrating!!!

 

[Marguerite]

If all else fails go to the top. Call Arnie.

My method - I start at the level I need to talk to people. If I don't get a straight answer or if I get no answer ("they're in a meeting") I let tem know that I will continue calling up the chain of command until I get a human who will talk to me. If I get to the top and still get no human response, I go to the media.

Make sure you leave messages so they can start getting back to you when they get their rear ends kicked.

Marg

 

[Jungleland]

Thank you all. Will let you know what happens.

 

[BusynMember]

They cut the psychiatrist out of our mental health office completely, for kids and adults. Won't any of the doctors take Medicaid? I'm the only one on medications and I got to my GP for them, but if I wanted to see a psychiatrist, any of the ones at the university hospital/clinic would take Medicaid. If you have Medicaid I recommend going to a university hospital. As far as I know, they're good with Medicaid. Since she was adopted, doesn't she get Medicaid with the subsidy?
In our case, people protested and wrote, but nothing changed. The well is dry.

 

[Jungleland]

Hi, we adopted difficult child privatley. No adoption assistance, no Medi-Cal.

Our regional center is trying to get her approved for Institutional Deeming which will give her full scope Medi-Cal if she qualifies. It is looking like she will qualify, but problem is, no child psychiatrists anywhere around us.

That is mostly why I am so upset about this, County Mental Health had the only child psychiatrist within 3 hours of us.

 

[BusynMember]

I feel for ya. We don't have a slew of them either. I don't think that many exist. We have to travel quite a ways when we need one--at least an hour. I hope you can solve the problem. I was in shock when I found out that our mental health center was eliminating psychiatrists. They just have therapists now. It really stinks, all these cuts.