Hello all--
As many of you know, husband and I have been feeling as though we are talking to a wall when we've been asking for help from our mental health system.
Today, I attended difficult child's counseling session (usually it's just difficult child and therapist)...AND because of some of the topics being discussed in recent threads, I thought to ask the therapist about the "goals" they had been trying to accomplish.
Turns out that therapist and difficult child had set a few goals for therapy almost two years ago now...and the initial expectation was that measurable progress should be made within six months....and here we are in the exact same position--no closer to accomplishing or changing anything than when difficult child started with this mental health agency. difficult child has been refusing to participate in therapy and simply says whatever she thinks therapist wants to hear at the time.
Meanwhile, even though husband and I have been pushing for more services, it has been determined that difficult child doesn't really qualify for more services in comparison to the other kids on the waiting lists. therapist suggested that this is because husband and I have been so hyper-vigilant trying to keep difficult child out of trouble, that difficult child simply does not have the police record to accompany her transgressions. Whereas if we'd been a little more lax in our parenting and let difficult child get picked up a few times by police or had pressed charges whenever she became physical in our home--we might be in a better position to get help.
So...as parents, it seems that we're darned if we do and darned if we don't.
Has anyone else been faced with this dilemma?
If it weren't so darned dangerous, we'd be happy to let difficult child "run wild" for a couple of weeks if it meant we could get more assistance managing her behaviors--but knowing that she likes to hang out with older boys, and seems willing to accept rides from strangers and has no concept of "dangerous" or "unsafe", the odds are too high that difficult child will get herself seriously injured or killed.
Meanwhile, now that she is back at school after her stay at psychiatric hospital, the school is contemplating the consequences for difficult child skipping classes and fooling around on school property. So far it seems like they are discussing suspension and/or expulsion.
--DaisyFace
As many of you know, husband and I have been feeling as though we are talking to a wall when we've been asking for help from our mental health system.
Today, I attended difficult child's counseling session (usually it's just difficult child and therapist)...AND because of some of the topics being discussed in recent threads, I thought to ask the therapist about the "goals" they had been trying to accomplish.
Turns out that therapist and difficult child had set a few goals for therapy almost two years ago now...and the initial expectation was that measurable progress should be made within six months....and here we are in the exact same position--no closer to accomplishing or changing anything than when difficult child started with this mental health agency. difficult child has been refusing to participate in therapy and simply says whatever she thinks therapist wants to hear at the time.
Meanwhile, even though husband and I have been pushing for more services, it has been determined that difficult child doesn't really qualify for more services in comparison to the other kids on the waiting lists. therapist suggested that this is because husband and I have been so hyper-vigilant trying to keep difficult child out of trouble, that difficult child simply does not have the police record to accompany her transgressions. Whereas if we'd been a little more lax in our parenting and let difficult child get picked up a few times by police or had pressed charges whenever she became physical in our home--we might be in a better position to get help.
So...as parents, it seems that we're darned if we do and darned if we don't.
Has anyone else been faced with this dilemma?
If it weren't so darned dangerous, we'd be happy to let difficult child "run wild" for a couple of weeks if it meant we could get more assistance managing her behaviors--but knowing that she likes to hang out with older boys, and seems willing to accept rides from strangers and has no concept of "dangerous" or "unsafe", the odds are too high that difficult child will get herself seriously injured or killed.
Meanwhile, now that she is back at school after her stay at psychiatric hospital, the school is contemplating the consequences for difficult child skipping classes and fooling around on school property. So far it seems like they are discussing suspension and/or expulsion.
--DaisyFace