Services are changing.....

[timer lady]

There's been a "switch" in services for the tweedles ~ mostly due to legislative language not the level of services.

Saying that wm is no longer eligible for family/mental health therapeutic services ~ it's now only child/mental health therapeutic services. What does this mean?

It means wm's transportation to therapist & therapy sessions is no longer available. What does this mean?

wm will be put in a taxi, alone, from one end of the metro to the other to see his therapist & then back to school. And this is a concern why?

Well wm doesn't do well in the car or in any moving vehicle. He gets goofy, acts out if you don't answer because you are watching the road, explodes in anger over this or that. Not a pretty picture. This is an issue because?

wm exploding in a taxi means a 911 call to the police.

This is gonna be fun.

 

[TeDo]

I am so sorry for you and wm. What are the legislative language changes coming from, state or fed? Wouldn't it be cheaper for them to reimburse mileage than to pay a taxi? Is there anyone you can appeal to? I am at a loss for words.

(((Hugs))) to both of you.

 

[DammitJanet]

Oh this should be fun for all! NOT! I feel sorry for the poor taxi driver myself. They know not of what they are in for. Some poor shmuck who is just out doing his job is going to get the fun of a difficult child in full force and never know what hit him. Sheesh. I hope they give him combat pay.

 

[susiestar]

All I can see down this road is disaster. If, by some miracle, Wm doesn't flip out in the taxi then he will start wanting to be dropped off in other places, or saying the taxi didn't come so he had to start walking, or he will just take off while "waiting" for the taxi to come and pick him up. Maybe they don't care because he is 16 and 16yo's "should" be able to get around alone to some degree. They are dead wrong, of course.

What if wm has a girlfriend and the two of them decide to use this to get some unsupervised time together? Bad things ahead there too.

I truly hope that this all goes with-o any problems, but I am not naive enough to actually think it will happen. I hope I win a million bucks too, but I am not spending like it is gonna happen.

What idiot thought that this could be a good idea?

Linda, this is one you NEED to let wm and the treatment team figure out. They want to take over mroe and more of the stuff with him, so let them have this one. Including dealing with any trouble he finds.

I'm sorry because it seems like setting him up to fail spectacularly and setting you and kt up for stress that is totally unneeded. What if wm decides to use this freedom in the taxi to have a driver take him to your house or kt's school instead of to his home?

 

[JJJ]

Wm....unsupervised

Any chance he will come to 'visit' you and kt??? or is he too far away?

 

[tiredmommy]

I'm thinking the same as Susie and JJJ: what if he uses this as a way to get to you?

 

[DDD]

I'm sorry, Linda. DDD

 

[susiestar]

I wonder who would be held responsible if wm used this as an opportunity to just walk away from everyone? Surely someone would be held accountable, but on the other hand it may be someone's underhanded way of letting those kids who are very supervised but want to leave have an easier way to escape. I am sure there are some who really don't care to be supervised and believe they can do it themselves - and will try with this easy opportunity. As a twin I doubt wm would do that unless it was to escape to ocme find kt and/or you. This just really does not sound like a good plan.

on the other hand, at some point he has to learn to do some things on his own. He will be 18 soon and out of care unless the state files for guardianship. As that is expensive, I am sure there are those who think if they can get him to "run away" first it will be better for the budget, esp with his resistance/inability to change for the better. Maybe this will help him learn to navigate around in society. But that is a pretty naive expectation.

 

[slsh]

Yep, bad idea. Not sure I understand how switching from "family" to "child" mental health therapeutic services equals no more transportation, other than an effort to cut costs - which is, as usual, incredibly short-sighted. Wm still needs the mental health therapeutic services - the argument could be made that by not transporting him, the state is putting his access to MHTS in jeopardy, thereby increasing the probability that they will have to continue to provide services down the road. And who exactly assumes liability for his safety (and the taxi driver's????) during these rides?

Can his Integrated Listening Systems (ILS) worker (assuming he still has one) accompany him during his taxi treks?

Since he's being transported back to school, any chance of getting them to provide transportation and/or supervision?

Sigh.... sorry Linda. It's utterly ridiculous.

 

[SearchingForRainbows]

So sorry Linda! Like slsh said, it just doesn't make sense that changing from family to child equals no more transportation. I also agree that it's got to be a cost cutting measure, a really ridiculous one - A total understatement!!!

Thinking of you and wishing I had some great words of wisdom... Hugs... SFR

 

[KTMom91]

I don't see a good outcome with this new plan, either. I'm sorry, Linda...many hugs.

 

[Wiped Out]

Sigh...and hugs.

 

[timer lady]

The thing is that wm is operating emotionally around 7 years of age ~ no impulse control, a hair trigger temper & a huge lack of common sense. My home is about 25 minutes from wm's therapeutic foster home. He can come see me if the driver listens to him.

The team is very aware of the dangers of this situation ~ I've contacted the CADI manager (she's in charge of services rendered); unfortunately due to budget constraints this is what is going to happen.

We shall see how this goes. CADI manager assured me that wm will receive his mental health treatment even if this turns into a disaster.

Thank you ladies ~ I don't see this going well yet it's out of my hands. I'm just being informed because I'm the legal guardian & I have to sign off on the treatment plan. We'll see if GAL steps up to the plate on this one.

 

[susiestar]

Sounds like it is time for the GAL to kick some tushie to stop this. Sorry you have to worry about this kind of thing. How come there is so little common sense in the care our kids get?

 

[Steely]

Linda, I just wanted to offer you many hugs....I have been off the board for awhile, but I think of you and your family often.

Trying to find a possible bright side - maybe it is possible that difficult child will behave better for a total stranger. I don't know his history or personality, but I know with Matt, his difficult child-ness usually only kicks in after knowing a person for more than a taxi ride.

Won't they also only give wm enough money to get where he needs to go for the taxi, therefore making it impossible for him to make the cab driver go farther, like to your house?

Many hugs -

 

[ML]

These cost cutting measures scare me so much and I suspect we will be seeing many more of the, especially in our state with the current budget situation. I can't say I know what the answer is but I'm very afraid.

Praying that wm surprises us all and does great and that some uninteded GOOD consequences come of this. Big hugs xo