Phone call from social worker

[flutterby]

UGH!!!

They want to schedule a family meeting tomorrow (which is fine) and they are planning on sending her home then.

She made the statement that I had talked to the inpatient psychiatrist, which I haven't and I corrected her. She said that difficult child only wants to focus on the anxiety. I told her that anxiety is the biggest issue and that it's incapacitating. difficult child did say at visitation last night that she spoke to the social worker yesterday who told difficult child that she was there because she was suicidal and argued with difficult child when she said she wasn't. I didn't and don't know how much of that to believe because difficult child twists things so that she is the victim, but after talking to the social worker today I do believe there is some truth in it.

I really didn't care for the lady for the few minutes I spoke to her because she was busy talking over me the entire time.

They said they gave her some "tips" for dealing with her anxiety. I almost laughed out loud. I told her, as quickly as I could because she didn't give me much time to speak, about the other big issues and that difficult child needs residential. Social worker responded that residential will just teach her more bad behaviors and I need to find a therapist that is an expert in anxiety. They don't know of any such creature, though.

I put a phone call into inpatient psychiatrist yesterday and am still waiting to hear from her.

So, this is going to completely backfire on me. difficult child is going to say they didn't do anything to help her and she's going to be right.

I understand that this is a stabilization unit. However, since therapist spoke to regular psychiatrist immediately preceding difficult child being admitted (found that out yesterday), I've tried to contact inpatient psychiatrist, and therapist was going to contact inpatient psychiatrist, I was hoping for more services - a referral to residential or something. Not the social worker saying that difficult child only wanted to focus on her anxiety.

 

[DammitJanet]

Well fine and dandy then...shall we focus on the anxiety? Is it better? I think not!

Tips arent going to stabilizer her. If they would have, her regular therapist would have done that long ago. Goodness, a self help book could have given you those.

 

[CrazyinVA]

Gah. I so remember those types of psychiatric hospital stays. I found that rarely do they keep kids in acute more than 3 days, 5 at the most. All I can say is, each short-term stay was another step towards getting her more help, as frustrating as it was. After enough short-term stays, they eventaully conceded that she needed Residential Treatment Center (RTC).

Push them on after-care planning, big time.

 

[klmno]

Yep, it all sounds familiar to me, too. And I've heard more than once that all difficult child needs is a good therapist, but no one happens to know who that therapist should be. Of course every therapist claimed they could help- but didn't. I hate to think about all the difficult children that continue to get worse for years before anything serious is done.

 

[crazymama30]

I think I would ask for a different social worker. First of all, why is she arguing with difficult child? What is to be gained by that? She should know better. Second of all, she is being paid to help difficult child and to listen to difficult child and her family, that would be YOU! I would call and ask to speak to whoever is in charge, or call psychiatrist or therapist and speak to them and see if they will call. Maybe then they can address the fact that difficult child is not stable, and that a few tips for anxiety are like spitting in the wind--it just don't work. Hugs.

 

[flutterby]

Spoke to difficult child earlier. She got confused between who is the social worker and who is the psychiatrist. It's the psychiatrist she doesn't like. I've spoken to both and I have the opposite feeling.

Anyway, psychiatrist was under the impression that difficult child was admitted because difficult child was suicidal. This whole thing has been a mess. I told psychiatrist that "tips" isn't going to be helpful and she agreed. She said difficult child says nothing helps. They did a relaxation group last night and difficult child begrudgingly admitted that it helped, but was saying by this morning that it didn't. Yep. That's difficult child.

psychiatrist said residential is going to mainly have behavior disordered kids, although she said that the place I'm looking into does more mental health than anything else. She then said I would have to turn my child over to Children Services to get residential treatment.

So, I called the place I'm interested in and they said that unless I can cover the room and board that medicaid doesn't cover, I have to have difficult child referred by Children Services (or the court).

So, I called Children Services and now have a caseworker for family in need of services. Normally they would go with me to the meeting (tomorrow when difficult child is being released), but they are in training. So, she gave me her number if they want to talk to her and the caseworker will get in touch with me next week to set up a time to meet, etc. They were very nice and helpful and while they aren't going to recommend residential out of the chute, it will open up more resources.

So, tell me, when/how was I supposed to relax while difficult child was gone? <------I think that is the only way it would have happened.

I'm tired.

 

[KTMom91]

What a mess. I was hoping this would play out differently. Sending many hugs and lots of strength.

 

[klmno]

Can you get the sd on board with Residential Treatment Center (RTC)? That would help cover cost if it's done thru an IEP and you having medicaid on her.

 

[susiestar]

I cannot say I am surprised the SW had it wrong. And that psychiatrist did. They problem got the info about what she wrote in her journal, only read a couple of words, decided it meant she wanted to die and was suicidal. Pretty much our experience with acute phosps - only hear a bit of what you say/write, decide what the problems are with-o paying any real attention and then are shocked if you tell them they got it wrong. Grrrr.

Why is it that the acute phosps seem to get all the info wrong - and each person has it wrong DIFFERENTLY - but they still say the kid is "ready to go" in 2 days?

I hope they were really able to help her. Even if she *thinks* they didn't.

I had some info about contacting Medicaid to see what needed to be done to cover residential, but you have already done that. Good for you!

It sounds like getting a Children's Services caseworker might end up being helpful. I am glad you are getting the help!

Gentle hugs.

 

[confuzzled]

I cannot say I am surprised the SW had it wrong. And that psychiatrist did. They problem got the info about what she wrote in her journal, only read a couple of words, decided it meant she wanted to die and was suicidal. Pretty much our experience with acute phosps - only hear a bit of what you say/write, decide what the problems are with-o paying any real attention and then are shocked if you tell them they got it wrong. Grrrr.

i actually think its more due to the admission process and insurance companies. suicidal is much easier to justify an inpatient stay than "anxiety" is--no matter what the level of that anxiety is.

and then, since its somewhere in the admitting forms, psychiatrist/tdocs just run with it and miss the big picture.

its a shame its that way.

 

[klmno]

I was thinking along those lines too- plus, it protects the difficult child in a way. I know when my son was admitted and he appeared a danger to self AND others, they only wrote "risk of danger to self". Not that it pertains to your case, Heather, but when it's a situation where mental health records might end up in court one day, it's so not good to have the "danger to others" showing up.