JJJ
Active Member
Well, Kanga has snowed another doctor. It looks like they are going to send her home at the end of the week. We are going to fight hard for her not to be sent home until Monday as weekends are the most difficult to supervise her. Her regular therapist and her therapist's supervisor are both coming to the meeting at the hospital with me tomorrow (on their own, unpaid time!!) to argue for a longer stay or at least an admission to the day-treatment partial-hospitalization program (PHP) pending Residential Treatment Center (RTC) placement. The hospital psychiatrist is very happy with her behavior since she started the Depakote. Um, hey there doctor, there is NO WAY that the Depakote is at therapeutic level in 7 days so it is a non-factor in her behavior.
Based on the assumption that she is being sent home next Monday and enrolled in PHP, here is our safety plan.
Current Home Modifications (in place before this psychiatric hospital stay
All children sleep behind solid core doors and outdoor quality locks, impossible for Kanga to kick in.
All sharps and medicine are locked in a cabinet.
Additional Modifications:
An alarm is being placed on Kanga's door so she can't open it without triggering the alarm.
There will always be 2 adults home if Kanga is home (unless she is the only child home, then husband can be the sole adult).
Fragile electronics will also go in locked cabinet when not in use (remotes, etc.)
husband will take Kanga to work with him in the morning and the PHP bus will pick her up there. She will return to husband's work after PHP. This will ensure that the other children and I are never alone with her.
Her normal weekday therapy will be moved to Saturday to ensure 6 days a week therapy. She will need to attend church with Piglet and I because I can't leave her home with the boys and just husband. There are 6 other adults from my family with us at church so I'll only be alone with her in the car for 1.5 miles of side streets.
I will arrange playdates and other activities to keep the younger children out of the house on the weekend unless Kanga is at therapy or respite (hoping to arrange respite!)
Here is the contract we are having her sign:
Kangas Safety Plan
<span style="color: #FF0000">The #1 Rule
No violence!</span>
Kanga agrees to follow these rules every day...
1. Keep her hands to herself: no hitting, no throwing, no stealing.
2. Speak nicely and appropriately, especially to Tigger.
3. Do daily chores: clean room, clean upstairs hallway, and clean kids bathroom.
4. Take medicine.
5. Appropriately greet her family.
6. Do her homework every day. If no school homework, then homeschool books and read for at least one hour.
7. Stay in her room unless accompained by an adult.
8. Go to bed when told.
9. Comply with all directions from adults.
10. Keep private issues private. DO NOT discuss issues with friends, teammates or others. DO discuss issues with therapists.
Each day if Kanga has followed these rules she will be allowed to go to hockey. If there is no hockey, she will be allowed to call one friend from jr high or hockey and talk for 10 minutes. If after going to hockey or talking to a friend, Kanga breaks one of the rules, she will owe a day and must complete a good day before being allowed to earn hockey/phone again.
Kanga understands that she is not to watch tv, listen to the radio or play video games. She understands that she is not to touch money. After 30 good days, she may earn limited amounts of these activities by doing extra chores or schoolwork as directed by a parent.
Kanga understands that all of her things have been removed from her room and placed in storage along with her Christmas presents. She understands that the only thing in her room are some of her clothes, her bedding, her schoolwork and a journal. She understands that except for some garbage, all of her things are boxed away for her. A very limited number of items have been placed in Box A. She may begin earning things out of Box A after she has completed 30 good days. After another 60 good days, she may begin earning Box B and so on.
Kanga understands that another act of violence will cause her to return to the hospital or to jail. Kanga understands that her parents will decide if it was violent. She will not get to decide.
*********************************
I did shorten the length of time that she has to be good to earn back her stuff and gave her something to earn each day (base on input from all of you!).
I have to present this contract to her tomorrow, so please if you have any suggestions, offer them now!!
Based on the assumption that she is being sent home next Monday and enrolled in PHP, here is our safety plan.
Current Home Modifications (in place before this psychiatric hospital stay
All children sleep behind solid core doors and outdoor quality locks, impossible for Kanga to kick in.
All sharps and medicine are locked in a cabinet.
Additional Modifications:
An alarm is being placed on Kanga's door so she can't open it without triggering the alarm.
There will always be 2 adults home if Kanga is home (unless she is the only child home, then husband can be the sole adult).
Fragile electronics will also go in locked cabinet when not in use (remotes, etc.)
husband will take Kanga to work with him in the morning and the PHP bus will pick her up there. She will return to husband's work after PHP. This will ensure that the other children and I are never alone with her.
Her normal weekday therapy will be moved to Saturday to ensure 6 days a week therapy. She will need to attend church with Piglet and I because I can't leave her home with the boys and just husband. There are 6 other adults from my family with us at church so I'll only be alone with her in the car for 1.5 miles of side streets.
I will arrange playdates and other activities to keep the younger children out of the house on the weekend unless Kanga is at therapy or respite (hoping to arrange respite!)
Here is the contract we are having her sign:
Kangas Safety Plan
<span style="color: #FF0000">The #1 Rule
No violence!</span>
Kanga agrees to follow these rules every day...
1. Keep her hands to herself: no hitting, no throwing, no stealing.
2. Speak nicely and appropriately, especially to Tigger.
3. Do daily chores: clean room, clean upstairs hallway, and clean kids bathroom.
4. Take medicine.
5. Appropriately greet her family.
6. Do her homework every day. If no school homework, then homeschool books and read for at least one hour.
7. Stay in her room unless accompained by an adult.
8. Go to bed when told.
9. Comply with all directions from adults.
10. Keep private issues private. DO NOT discuss issues with friends, teammates or others. DO discuss issues with therapists.
Each day if Kanga has followed these rules she will be allowed to go to hockey. If there is no hockey, she will be allowed to call one friend from jr high or hockey and talk for 10 minutes. If after going to hockey or talking to a friend, Kanga breaks one of the rules, she will owe a day and must complete a good day before being allowed to earn hockey/phone again.
Kanga understands that she is not to watch tv, listen to the radio or play video games. She understands that she is not to touch money. After 30 good days, she may earn limited amounts of these activities by doing extra chores or schoolwork as directed by a parent.
Kanga understands that all of her things have been removed from her room and placed in storage along with her Christmas presents. She understands that the only thing in her room are some of her clothes, her bedding, her schoolwork and a journal. She understands that except for some garbage, all of her things are boxed away for her. A very limited number of items have been placed in Box A. She may begin earning things out of Box A after she has completed 30 good days. After another 60 good days, she may begin earning Box B and so on.
Kanga understands that another act of violence will cause her to return to the hospital or to jail. Kanga understands that her parents will decide if it was violent. She will not get to decide.
*********************************
I did shorten the length of time that she has to be good to earn back her stuff and gave her something to earn each day (base on input from all of you!).
I have to present this contract to her tomorrow, so please if you have any suggestions, offer them now!!