Transferring to different Residential Treatment Center (RTC)

[crazymama30]

So yesterday I went to Residential Treatment Center (RTC) as difficult child was seeing psychiatrist and we were supposed ti do family therapy. psychiatrist let it skip that difficult child was going to be going somewhere else to be with more kids his age (he had the most problems with kids his age, does well with kids older and younger) and difficult child blew. Sobbing, yelling screaming questions but would not let anyone else speak to try to talk, hyperventilating......they had me leave the room and psychiatrist and a staff member went in to try to calm him. I could still hear him for quite a while.


psychiatrist came out and talked to me, asked if that was what I dealt with at home? I said yes, times 10. He said he was glad they had seen that, that difficult child was viewed as the favorite little brother as he is so much smaller physically and younger developmentally, that he had been an angel. Which is why they are moving him, current Residential Treatment Center (RTC) does not have a group age and developmental wise that will be best for difficult child, but another one of their programs at a different location has a program that would mesh better with difficult child developmentally.

The other Residential Treatment Center (RTC) won't do a medication wash either, I guess difficult child is more potentially explosive than I ever realized, or I have just lived it for to long. They have started switching him from abilify to seroquel, and it is too soon to really see anything from that. difficult child now has another diagnosis, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) not otherwise specified. no shock really to me.

So I will leave at checkout time from my motel to go get him. i did not want to drive 150 miles home and then 200 (one way) the next morning so I just stayed overnight. I hope this next Residential Treatment Center (RTC) is good fit, and that they can make some progress with him.

 

[DammitJanet]

Im glad that they are seeing difficult child in more of his true colors so they can more fully help him. Without really knowing, real help cant come.

 

[Bunny]

Not that we like when it happens, but it's a good thing when they show their behaviors in front of the professionals who are helping. For the longest time I think our therapist thought I was nuts when I described what he was like at home, and then we had one session where difficult child just completely blew up. therapist looked at me and asked, "What just happened here?" because the explosion happened so fast, and I just looked at him and said, "Welcome to my world."

I hope that the new Residential Treatment Center (RTC) is a good fit for him.

 

[JJJ]

Why are you moving him? They should be transporting him between campuses.

I'm also glad that the psychiatrist saw it. Please make sure that they document it and you get a copy of it.

 

[pepperidge]

hugs to you. Sounds like an improvement. Will you be transporting him? I would worry, based on his reaction, but I imagine that you are already en route.

At least you are not doing all this driving in terrible weather.

Sorry for all you have been through. I hope this convinces them that he needs more than just a few bandaid type of help.

 

[susiestar]

I hope the new setting brings out his problems so that they can see them. I know it sounds mean to want that, but they cannot help what they cannot see.

I hope you have a safe drive.

 

[buddy]

ditto to all that was said, glad they saw it , glad they are finding a more appropriate place, too bad they didn't do that in the first place--just because it is hard for him to change especially with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Poor kid, once he gets there and adjusted he will probably be ok, but face more challenges which is what they need to see to help him anyway.

Let us know when the move is over and how he is doing. He is on my mind a lot. HUGS, Buddy

 

[tiredmommy]

I hope everything is going well.

 

[Liahona]

I hope the move went well.

 

[KTMom91]

Hope everything went smoothly today. Many hugs.

 

[Steely]

Hug.....

 

[Steely]

Hugs......

 

[crazymama30]

Alright, I will try to answer all the questions.

I did not have to transport difficult child, I actually had then set up secure transport sure to his reaction. Last night difficult child called me and was calm and rational and said he would feel better and safer if I took him. So I cancelled secure transport.

He did well on the drive, perseverated a bit, but did well. We stopped and had lunch and he showed me the magic cards the other kids had given him. I can already see a difference in him, he was a little rude to the person at subway, but realized it and changed his approach. We talked quite a bit about what skills he was learning.

I was a bit dissapointed at the new Residential Treatment Center (RTC) as i did not get to meet his new psychiatrist and briefly met his therapist. I have decided the intake social workers are clueless, the last one was and this one was too. I should get to talk to difficult children thetapist tomorrow, and maybe the psychiatrist too. He may not see a psychiatrist here this week, as he saw psychiatrist at the other facility yesterday and they are under the same ownership.

This Residential Treatment Center (RTC) is a bit more clinical, it is a bit more acute, so he could not have his clock he earned at the last Residential Treatment Center (RTC) as it had metal parts. Out seemed a bit chaotic, but it had younger kiddos so that may be it. When I left difficult child was playing magic with a girl there, so he was making friends already.

I can tell just by the group he will be with that he will get triggered. And the atmosphere. It had bad acoustics, and echoes. I hope he does get triggered, and they can coach him through it.

So we will see. I wish I had a crystal ball so I would know if I was making the right choice.

 

[JJJ]

So we will see. I wish I had a crystal ball so I would know if I was making the right choice.

You are making the best possible choice given the information you have at this time. That is all any of us can do. (((Hugs))) I know it is so hard.

 

[crazymama30]

thanks JJJ, It helps to hear that, especially coming from someone who has dealt with so much from their kiddo(s).

 

[buddy]

Now that he has that official Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) diagnosis, will they have an Occupational Therapist (OT) to check on him and work on things from that approach too? He should be able to have some form of ear protection if he wants it. My son will choose to put in ear plugs or wear headphones when he even goes to assemblies at school. He does so for sporting events and in class when others trigger him (they are fine, just doing things that make him nuts like one kid is a big hummer...just can't stop himself, made me crazy when I was there too)

 

[crazymama30]

Buddy, no way would difficult child wear ear plugs or anything like that. He would be too self conscious. He has had Occupational Therapist (OT) before, and really? I think he needs speech more to approach the social skills and communication aspect of things. If we do Occupational Therapist (OT) that would be ok too, but I had actually planned on starting speech before he went to Residential Treatment Center (RTC), and then that got put on the back burner.

 

[buddy]

Oh yes, that is a huge deal, some kids want the relief at any cost and others are like yours...just would not be caught dead with those kinds of things. but I guess my question was more general, I didn't word it well... do they do things like that in Residential Treatment Center (RTC)... Occupational Therapist (OT), speech? I only thought of the ear thing because you said the building had bad acoustics and I wondered if that was a big issue for him. Will they let kids eventually listen to music thru earbuds, or are they considered a danger? (might not be your guys thing either, just asking).

I have to say again, your devotion to your son is beautiful.

 

[crazymama30]

I am pretty sure on this unit earbuds world be considered a danger.

As soon as I talk to his thetapist I an planning on asking about Occupational Therapist (OT) and speech. I have decided the intake therapists are all new, and really don't know much.......or at least that is what i have seen at these 2 places. They could not answer my questions, but then maybe they are not used to warrior mom questions.

difficult child also had a cholesterol level that is a little high, and his tsh (means you could have low was a little high thyroid) while the t4 was in the life normal range. psychiatrist at other facility thought it would be good to put him on thyroid medications, and I agree . Your thyroid level had so much to do with mood. Plus, I have hypothyroidism, and when my t4 level is in the low normal range I feel icky.

More questions, while I wait for someone who can answer them. Lol

 

[buddy]

That is really interesting. I wouldn't have thought to check that. So glad they did and you are familiar with that issue.

They could not answer my questions, but then maybe they are not used to warrior mom questions.

I have found this super interesting in the last month. The number of people at psychiatric hospital who have said things like it is amazing how involved you are etc. I actually dont know any parents in my life that would not be as involved as I am, I think it is normal. But I only have my perspective to go by. It probably does seem strange to them to have parents who are on top of things and want to know everything. I heard that some of the kids dont see their parents until discharge. I am not gong to judge though, because I know how hard it can be and what the staff may not know is that these parents just might be using the time to get themselves and their homes into a better place for their difficult child to come back to. It was just interesting to me. Probably lots of things, not worth talking to them, they are just the paper work organizers...not trained to know much. I like it better when a direct care provider takes on the intake. then they hear it straight from our mouths. But sometimes we just have to wait to talk to those people I guess. Sure sounds overall like these places you have chosen have some good options though and are a really safe place for him. It is reassuring to me, so hope you don't mind. I know you are going through so much, but I am taking notes, smile.