And she's gone again....

[JJJ]

Kanga ran again. Staff caught her and brought her back. The moment she arrived back on campus,, she ran again and so did two other girls. Her case manager called me from the police station to let me know that they have staff out looking again as well as the police. Two boys also ran tonight but not at the same time as the girls, not the boy she ran with on Friday. They don't think the boys and girls are together unless they ran into each other.

While it is a bit warmer tonight, it has been raining and they are about to be hit by a thunderstorm. Cold+hungry did not bring her home; maybe cold+hungry+WET will do it.

 

[AnnieO]

...ugh!

How do this many kids all run? What is going on???

 

[TeDo]

How on earth did they manage that? You'd think after what she just pulled they'd be even more "observant" or "cautious". I wouldn't assume they're not together. It's too much of a coincidence. She's teaching them well isn't she? Glad I'm not on their payroll. UGH! Keep us posted. {{{{(((HUGS)))}}}} hon.

 

[keista]

OMW Hope they find her and the others soon.

 

[HaoZi]

Oh geeze, she started a trend. She's sure going to keep them on their toes. Hope they find them all soon and safe.

 

[JJJ]

Kanga is a runner in the good sense (as in she competes in long distance racing, she just won a 5K a few weeks ago and was entered in one next month). Unless the staff was in very good shape, she could turn a one step lead into a 100' lead very quickly. (Guess that is another thing she has lost, the freedom to train as an overweight Kanga would be easier to catch).

This Residential Treatment Center (RTC) is not designed for hard-core runners. I'm worried that we will need to find a new placement for Kanga. This is not a secured facility.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Perhaps the threat (or just possibility) of being moved to a more secure facility may be driving her "running" now?
She knows she has blown it here anyway... if the "next" place has less options for running away, then "right now" is the best time to make her break-away?

<ugh>
{{hugs}}

 

[JJJ]

I don't know...hard to guess what she is thinking. She was told a move would only be considered IF she ran again. She told me she wasn't coming back next time she ran. (Course, she didn't 'come back' last time except in the back of a squad car.)

 

[tiredmommy]

 

[JJJ]

One of the other girls got tired of running and called the home to get picked up. The staff then searched the area around where they got that girl and found Kanga and the other girl.

It sounds like Kanga climbed out her bedroom window for today's first run and then jumped out of the van for her second run.

I'm guessing she's going to run again - cause she is clearly 'enjoying' this.

 

[gcvmom]

So they don't have the ability to lock her into her room? There's no seclusion room?

What will happen tomorrow? Is there necessarily going to be a transfer requested to a lockdown facility?

 

[KTMom91]

Wow...she's determined, isn't she? Hope staff has learned and can find a secure location for her.

 

[Steely]

GRRRR .... It sounds like she is just egging on a lock down facility ....

 

[slsh]

JJJ - I'm so sorry. Sounds like the floodgates have opened and she's not going to stay put.

I have no suggestions other than finding a locked facility ASAP. Though.... with- 18 fast approaching... I don't know. Seems to just be delaying the inevitable.

At this stage, I just turned off the phone. I *really* resented the calls in the middle of the night - if staff wouldn't keep him from leaving, they could at least let me get a decent night's sleep. Sounds selfish, but it irked me no end that at 16 and 17, he was *still* being allowed to yank our chains. I think the last straw was an AWOL in the middle of a snow storm - worrying about him, did he have a coat, etc. It was an exercise in futility for me. I was sitting here envisioning worst case scenarios even though I was fairly confident he was "hanging" with- someone, safe and warm, which of course he was.

I also did *not* discuss his AWOLs with him after the first 5 or so. My reaction seemed to just feed into the whole thing.

Hugs and much sympathy.

 

[TerryJ2]

Sigh.
I agree, you may have to find another placement. Do they refer?

 

[JJJ]

State law is hancuffing the staff. The facility may not lock the youth inside the building or their room. Staff may not physically grab the youth unless they are deemed a risk of harm to self or others (the mere act of running is not considered a risk of harm). Staff has to try and prevent runs by standing in front of doors, talking the youth into not running, etc. When staff finds her, they have to verbally convince her to get into the van. The police can physically grab her if she ignores their instructions (justification: running away is a status offense so technically she is in the act of committing a crime).

There is a 'safe room' on campus that can be held shut by staff but there is a limit on the length of time a child may be in there. Something like 15 minutes and they have to call a supervisor, 60 minutes and they must call the psychiatrist.

I've been looking over the list of facilities funded by her grant. There are two that are slightly more secure. One - all the doors are alarmed and on a 10-second delay (unlocking 10-seconds after the alarm starts). It was the 1st Residential Treatment Center (RTC) she was at (yep, that disaster) but I thought maybe they'd have staff turnover in the last 3 years. Nope, they are under investigation by CPS for the highest number of runners of a facility in the state. The other one brings her too close to us.

Guess I'll wait and see what clinical staff says.

 

[DDD]

Guess you know I am sending caring thoughts your way. Somehow as a "family" member I always get nervous when one of our difficult child's turns into a runner. I can still remember how often Ant ran years ago and I would find myself saying prayers for his safety and worrying like a relative. I'm sorry this is her new kick. Due to the attention and excitement it generates I really doubt it will stop soon. Hugs. DDD

 

[Ktllc]

Just want to send support and positive thoughts your way.

 

[Liahona]

How about an Residential Treatment Center (RTC) out of state? Utah doesn't have laws like that.

 

[gcvmom]

I've wondered about how that happens -- out-of-state placement. A friend has her difficult child in a Utah Residential Treatment Center (RTC). She told me there weren't any in our state that were secure enough (her difficult child is 15).