Sales Pitch

comatheart

Active Member
If you've read my recent posts you know we are looking for an inpatient substance abuse treatment center for him to go to.

I have called 10, maybe 12 centers over the last week to get information about their program. For most of them, the process was very similar. They tell me about the program, ask a little bit about difficult child, we give them our insurance information and they call us back with financial details.

I avoided calling 2 facilities because I had been warned by 2 other people they were considered "Puppy mills for troubled adolescents." As our options began to dwindle, I broke down and called one. Instead of speaking with an admissions coordinator in the office of the treatment facility in TX, I was speaking with someone in NY! During our first phone call, she had to tell me to hold on about 5 times because she had another call coming in. She knew very little about the treatment facility except for what was on her "script." An example, she initially tried to tell me about the center closest to us in Austin... instead of Dallas, which is actually the closest to us. Austin is twice as far away.

She took insurance information and then began to get pushy. She wanted to set up an assessment call to go over difficult child's issues. She insisted he be available by phone to speak with. I explained to her that may not be an option as he's inpatient in a mental health hospital. I get 5 minute phone calls and can visit Sat/Suns only. I can't just show up. She started to raise her voice and insist that they couldn't move on without speaking with him. I told her I'd called about 10 facilities prior to this and she was FIRST that demanded to speak with him. They all understood that it was not possible. She starts getting upset with me. I feel like I'm trying to buy a car!! So I told her she can call and ask his therapist herself, but there is nothing I can do. If they let her speak with him, fine. I gave her the centers phone number and the therapists name.

Fast forward a day. On Friday evening, I get a voicemail message from this lady practically yelling in her message: "I've been calling the therapist for DAYS and he won't return my phone calls.... he must have some ulterior motive...maybe he wants your child to go do a facility of HIS choosing.... I put in a call to his supervisor!"

OMG. The therapist is probably ignoring her calls because she's a crazy sales person trying to sell us this treatment facility. I don't want the therapist to get in trouble, I feel so bad. We are meeting with him today so I'm going to apologize to him and offer to speak with his supervisor myself if need by. This is all so CRAZY!!! There's no way I would ever send my child there! It's obviously all about the numbers to them. I think "Puppy mill for troubled adolescents" is quite fitting. So sad.
 

Kathy813

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Yes, there are many, many bad treatment facilities out there. It looks like you found one of them.

~Kathy
 

lovemysons

Well-Known Member
It is sad. The "business" side of finding a rehab is certainly not any fun.
Hoping you find the right placement soon.

Hugs,
LMS
 

comatheart

Active Member
Now I'm starting to panic!!

The Mental Health Hospital was telling us last week that they'd keep him as long as necessary so that he can go directly to a rehab... today they said SURPRISE! You're outta time. We went in for our family therapy session and they spring on us that our insurance wanted him discharged or moved. Now. I'm so upset!! We are still waiting to hear from the rehab whether he will be accepted there (in part due to the hospital not getting all the records sent to them!) We asked the hospital to appeal to the insurance company for more time and so after we left they did and bought us 2 more days. That covers today and tomorrow. Eeek. If rehab accepts him, great. If not, I have NO IDEA what we'll do. I don't have a back up picked out, the only 2 left on my list within 300 miles of here are those "puppy mill for adolescent" type places.

If you pray, please pray for us!
 

Kathy813

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I'm crossing my fingers and keeping a good thought that your son will be accepted by the rehab that you have picked as the best fit for him.

~Kathy
 

in a daze

Well-Known Member
Who's the social worker on the MHU and why has she not picked out a rehab that has beds and takes your insurance? Is that not his/her job?
Social worker should be doing most of the search for the rehab.
 

Kathy813

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Daze has a very good point. The hospital is supposed to come up with a discharge plan that includes the next step for your difficult child. Have you been working with the hospital social worker?
 

in a daze

Well-Known Member
Daze has a very good point. The hospital is supposed to come up with a discharge plan that includes the next step for your difficult child. Have you been working with the hospital social worker?
Oh yeah, and another thing. Especially since I take it that your son's a minor since you are looking for an adolescent facility you should reiterate that you do not feel safe taking him home and insist they place him before discharge. Just love it when they put the burden on YOU.
 

comatheart

Active Member
Interesting. Nope, no one mentioned a social worker to us. His therapist (at the hospital) has been the facilitator providing paperwork(records) to the rehab facilities.

Hmmm

I'm going to have to ask about this first thing tomorrow morning!
 

comatheart

Active Member
Oh yeah, and another thing. Especially since I take it that your son's a minor since you are looking for an adolescent facility you should reiterate that you do not feel safe taking him home and insist they place him before discharge. Just love it when they put the burden on YOU.

Right!? We told Therapist that today, I think that's what bought us another 2 days. If for some reason he is not accepted at the rehab tomorrow and the hospital expects us to take him home... I'm going to freak out. I just might write on his discharge papers that we did not agree with the decision to release him and fear for our and his safety. If something happens to either, we will hold them liable.

Something to that effect.

Do you think that's a good idea?
 

Kathy813

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I'm not sure how it works with a minor. Hopefully someone with that experience will post the answer. Since my daughter was an adult, I was able to simply refuse to come and get her and tell the social worker that the hospital needed to find a place for her to go. Unfortunately, she told them that she had a friend to stay with so they paid for a taxi to take her there and she had them drop her off in our driveway instead.

~Kathy
 

comatheart

Active Member
We're good to go! Tomorrow he'll be discharged from the hospital and admitted into the substance abuse rehab. I'm so relieved!!
 
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