need your opinion... long sorry

[tracy551]

I don't know if anyone remembers my past post re: difficult child and placement, but I'll give you a quick run down.
Had caseworker with CYS for behaviors in school and at home for about 1 1/2 years. Went to a bootcamp last year for 4-5 months(did very well there) Came home Aug 06. Did good till about Jan 07. Got in trouble at school and was running with the wrong crowd and stopped going to school (said he didn't need it anymore)(he's 16)
We went back to court for all of this 3/13/06. He was placed in a shelter that day (only to be there for 2 weeks to get an evaluation)
Well he's still there, (evaluation was done-recogmend Residential Treatment Center (RTC)) Now 6 weeks later his caseworker has quit and he has not been assigned a new one. I've talk with the supervisor (Mrs. Personality) no news. The director of the shelter and the staff there doesn't understand it all. CYS seems to have just forgotten my child.
These are my questions--- 1. Should I fight for difficult child to come home?
(He is doing excellent at the shelter -level 3 the whole time, school work all A's & B's,etc) He used to see a doctor years ago that he really clicked with until an ins change well now this doctor is back in our insurance plan. There is also a new alt. ed. school open about 20 min from our home that we could get him into. I told him if he does come home NO BULL****. He must comply or else. He has agreed to go to the doctor again actually he wants to know when we can go, he says he would be willing to even go under house arrest or what ever it took. 2. Do I believe him? It's hard not to, because he is so different this time in placement. ( Hard to explain how)

 

[timer lady]

Tracy,

Is difficult child due to be discharged? Has he completed the treatment plan? Is there a discharge plan to follow up with difficult child?

All good things to consider before bringing difficult child home. My other thought is that if difficult child hasn't completed his treatment let him stay & finish it.

I hope answers come for you soon.

 

[Loris]

You really have to go with your gut on this one. Do you really believe him or do you think it's a game to get what he wants? You know him, so only you can make a guess. I hope you get some help and some answers soon.

 

[oceans]

Do they feel he has made adequate progress and at the end of the treatment they can offer him? Do what you can to find out as many answers as possible. After all your questions have be adequately answered, review them and get a feel for what you want to do. What would be best for him? What would be best for you? Do you have a plan in place for if he does not live up to his end of the agreement? We brought our son home after 6 weeks, but is was very clear to us and the psychiatric hospital that he was doing very well. Everyone felt comfortable with the decision. We knew that if it did not go well, he would need to go through the entire program again before moving to the Residential Treatment Center (RTC). You need to feel comfortable with your decision.

 

[tracy551]

They want to send him to Residential Treatment Center (RTC) for 6 to 12 months( behavior and truancy) Do you think that's too harsh? He has no treatment plan he just there and no one knows anything. I was told I could contact his court appointment attorney. I believe I may try to do that today to see if he can get any answers because apparently as a MOM you get nothing.

 

[timer lady]

Tracy,

Residential Treatment Center (RTC) isn't harsh - it's a life skills program for a difficult child of this age. Given your difficult children hx of chaos in your home I wouldn't hesitate to go this route - have done it twice with wm & once with kt.

Hard decisions - husband & I always had to look at the big picture; the level of functionality plus safety in our home.

See if you can get a hold of difficult child's attorney. At the very least, difficult child should have a treatment plan of some sort.

Good luck today.

 

[oceans]

If we went the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) route he would have been in there about 6 months too. If he was not doing exceptionally well, we would have gone that route. It is a place of learning, structure, and gaining new behaviors and skills to do better in the outside world and home environment.

 

[tracy551]

How do you know if the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) that has been chosen by cys is the right place? how do you know it is safe? No one I have talked with has had any experiecne with Adelphoi Village.

 

[timer lady]

Tracy - ask for a tour. Ask for references if available. I know the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) that both the tweedles spent time in had parent reviews & posted those reviews on their website. Good & bad. They also posted the percentages of re-admittance, average time spent in Residential Treatment Center (RTC), where discharged to & why.

I have filled out that parent review 3 times now - hopefully never again.

Ask psychiatrist, state ombudsman, NAMI in PA, etc.

Sometimes, you must just go with your gut instinct. For wm, safe was a relative term when it came to his very volatile & unsafe behaviors.

 

[judi]

Every Residential Treatment Center (RTC) must be licensed by some state entity and go thru some type of accreditation. FInd out what their last survey said, the deficiencies and how they plan to rectify them. Also, ask about staff training? Are RNs on staff 24/7? What type of restraints are used? Who authorizes them?