Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) Placement????

ck1

New Member
Well...I seem to be quickly becoming a regular poster here...thanks for all of your advice and good wishes! We are now discussing taking the first steps toward an Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) Placement for my son who is currently in a 28-day MH Crisis unit, after his two day stay in a juvenile detention center for simple assault.

Thinking of an Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) makes me very nervous, but there is NO WAY he can come home after this 28-day stay unless he decides to really make some serious progress for the next three weeks of his stay. All that are involved now agree that if he continues the way he is now it would not be safe for him to come home as he would only be a danger to himself and our family.

My question is this...does anyone have or know of a positive outcome after being in an Residential Treatment Facility (RTF)? Are there other options I should be asking about? Thanks for your help!
 

Ephchap

Active Member
Cathy,

Yes, I am all for a longer placement after the 28-day crisis stay. We attempted to arrange that with our son. Unfortunately, the 21 day stay place released him on day 12, and we had not yet secured the long term Residential Treatment Center (RTC).

Once we finally got him in, he was in a long-term (he ended up staying 10 months until his 18th birthday) dual-diagnostic (psychiatric and substance abuse) residential treatment facility.

I have nothing but good things to say about my son's placement. He lived with 11 other boys. They had daily group sessions, and he also had individual weekly sessions.

I think it totally saved my son's life. Of course, he now says that he was ready to make a change, but "nudging" him there certainly helped.

If it's a good program and you can get him in and get help with or have the resources for funding, I'd definitely say go for it.

Hugs,
Deb
 
How old was your son when he went to Residential Treatment Facility (RTF)? Did he want to go? Can you tell me where it was? Just trying to find sources too.
 

Ephchap

Active Member
My son had just turned 17. Did he want to go? Well, at that point, he had just been arrested and knew he had to turn his life around. He was in the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) by the time his court date came up, so even though the prosecutor was out for blood and wanted to send my just barely 17 year old to adult jail, the judge shook her head and said no way was she going to pull him out of such an intense program. The goal, after all, was to try to help him, not punish him.

I found the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) through a gazillion phone calls to psychiatric and university hospitals, substance abuse hospitals, and the state's MHMR Agency. They referred me to another agency that they dealt with, and he was seen through them. They agreed that all the short-term psychiatric and substance abuse programs had not helped, and agreed that the dual-diagnostic residential facility was necessary.

I had never even heard of it, but it was in Michigan. It was for adolescents. Even though the Michigan court system considered by 17 year old an adult, the medical and psychiatric world consider 17 a juvenille/adolescent.

I'd contact the MHMR in your area and see if they have any suggestions.

Hugs,
Deb
 
thanks. I dont even know if my son is too old for that. He feels that everywhere he has gone I have put him there. I really dont know what to do. I guess just try and talk to his public defender and hope the Judge isnt too harsh but not tolenient either.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
At age 12 we put my son in a psychiatric hospital. It was a residential program. They kept him for 4 months. They were strict but not mean, and I haveno hesitation to slap him back in.

He did not want to go. I packed some clothes, put them in the back of the station wagon, and then we invited him to "go for a ride" with us. After a verbal argument, he got in the car. He was quiet the whole way there (1 1/2 hours.

He was on a dual-diagnosis unit. Children with more htan one problem. Sub abuse was in a different wing. It took 3 months and a mom wiht intense determination to crack him. To get him to admit that HE was the reason he was in there. The therapist and one of the nurses especially saw through him and fought like demons to keep him in. (Of course insurance wanted him out after a week!)

With the way things are going now I may have to dig up the lists of placements again. He is NOT coming back here to live.

Good Luck,

Susie
 

Sunlight

Active Member
ant was sent against his will in handcuffs to a Residential Treatment Center (RTC) for two yrs. he was 16 when he went, 18 when he got out. it kept him safe for two yrs and he got his high school diploma. but it did not stop the drug use.
 

ck1

New Member
We had our first family meeting yesterday and we think it went well. The director of the center was impressed with my son's ability to sit and listen, which had to be very difficult for him sometimes.

At this point, the plan is for him to come home and start his junior year of HS on time. We will continue with the wrap-around service, add more family counseling, and D&A counseling. I'm hoping to keep him pretty busy so that he doesn't get bored and start looking for trouble. We're also going to continue with the steps needed for an Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) placement.

I'm really hoping that with all of this support in place and the Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) placement hanging over his head, he will really try hard to keep it from happening. He's also going through some medication changes while in his current facility and I think we're closer to a correct diagnosis. Hopefully, all of this will help him to make better decisions. One more thing, my husband and I are going to go to meetings that will help me toughen up (thanks AntsMom for the information!) and not be easily manipulated (not that I think I was before, but more information and preparation is always better). Time will tell...
 

Sunlight

Active Member
cathy, at least you know you are not alone. good for you for seeking out this forum as well as anything else you can get to help educate you to being a warrior mom and dad for your son!
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
Cathy, you're doing a great job of training for Warrior Mom status. It is a long hard road but I'd bet money you will end
up changing yourself into the loving but detached Mom that you have to be to help your difficult child. Way To Go! DDD
 
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