Smallworld- or others

[klmno]

I have a question (again) about day treatment.

It is my understanding that there are therapuetic day schools (here that appears to be primarily for severe behavior problems at school) with average stays of 2 years. Then, there is the partial hospitalization. Ok, I have done a search and cannot find anything local that lists partial hospitalizations, except for substance abuse or alcoholism. The psychiatric hospital where difficult child was a few weeks ago said they hadn't done any in years.

There is a place that lists itself as a day treatment for emotional/behavioral issues for kids with problems in community or transitioning from psychiatric hospital or Residential Treatment Center (RTC). I called to get info and they said it is almost always paid for by local agency after referral from sd- the only way to get in is referral from sd. So, this sounds more like the therapuetic day school with more focus on school related behaviors than on the issues difficult child is currently having, except they said their average stay was 6 mos.

What do you think about this place? How can I find out more about it?

 

[smallworld]

Hi, I'm about to leave for my daughter's school for an awards assembly, but wanted you to know that I saw your post and will respond later this afternoon.

I hope others will feel free to chime in as well.

 

[smallworld]

I'm back. It's hard for me to make any judgment about the program you found based on what you have written. Furthermore, how are you going to get your SD to refer to this program (given the cluelessness of your SD)?

Unfortunately, I think day treatment programs are few and far between. The program my daughter M attended in fall 2006 for 5 weeks was part of Children's Hospital in Difficult Child, and she went directly from a 5-day inpatient stay to day treatment. The program has since closed (I was told because it was losing money). The program my son attended last winter for 6 weeks is housed in a small psychiatric hospital in Northern Virginia. Given that we live in a large metropolitan area, this is the only day treatment program close by. There is also one in the Baltimore area about 45 minutes away.

Can someone at the mood disorders clinic where your difficult child was evaluated give you any advice about the options available?

 

[Steely]

I never found anything like you are describing in Dallas. And I searched for years. I think the lack of mental health in our communities is appalling.

Good luck - I really hope someone else from the NE chimes in and gives better news.

 

[timer lady]

klmno,

Both kt & wm have been in & out of day treatment for going on 4 years now. Our school district recommended it based on psychiatrist's referral/prescription & the neuropsychologist evaluations, as well as, behaviorial & emotional issues the tweedles were exhibiting.

Our SD just didn't have the right setting for either kt or wm.

Having said that, wm's day treatment (he's been there almost 3 years now) is for mostly behavioral kids. They are sensitive to wm's highly emotionally charged behaviors & are working with him to "reign" in those emotions. wm is a very ED'd & angry young man.

kt's day treatment is strictly for emotionally disturbed children. It's a SD run program. She's set to complete her 2nd full year there (at total of 2 1/2 years). The SD recommended it with psychiatrist's approval. She's about to graduate that setting (level 4) to a level 3 setting in the high school this coming fall.

Both of these programs are set up for long term kids (difficult children that need at least 2 years of this type setting). I'm not sure what you are looking for ~ the length of time, the treatment plan, etc? What transition are you looking at?

Please keep in mind these are very self contained settings with no mainstream classes. It's 3 hours of academics & 3 hours of therapeutic based programming.

Most of these programs are few & far between & have very well defined criteria for admittance.

 

[klmno]

Thanks- I think it mostly boils down to what Steely said- there just isn't enough out there. I tried to explain this to PO last week- our choices for mental health treatment seem to only be the minimal outpatient services or acute psychiatric hospital stay- at least when it is BiPolar (BP) in a 13yo in this area. I get frustrated with the outpatient profs when I think they aren't doing enough or moving quickly enough, but maybe it isn't that they failed- maybe it is that we need something more and the something more isn't there.

Now I can only imagine what kind of rash decision the GAL will make and ask the judge to rule on. I just hope and pray the judge remembers my words (there were so many LOL) when I testified to her about this in Jan. Those words keep going through my mind so I really hope they are still going through the judge's mind. The whole testimony was about the importance of adequate treatment for difficult child's, regardless of diagnosis and various treatment that might be appropriate for their specific problem, and about the juv. detention approach not being acceptable or effective.

I am going to pm you SW, with a link to the place I was referring to. I don't expect you to check into it but with your experience with day treatments, maybe you could just let me know which type this sounds like to you. If you don't want to fool with it, that's ok.

The principal at school has gotten much better- I think partly because difficult child has behaved better (sooo much better) at school this year, so the issues he has are much more obvious and harder to blame on the "bad kid" theory. Also, they have seen him make efforts to work with them. And, an occassional little reminder to them that I confer with a Special Education attny seems to go a long way. (I don't say it threatening- I tell everyone it is because he has a disorder that effects behavior that has left courts, sd, and everyone else involved so I need occassional input from a Special Education attny.)

What I am looking for- well, he still is cycling and having some issues at home. I thought the partial hospitilization sounded like a great way of making sure medications were tweaked under close supervision of a psychiatrist and as quickly as possible. And, that a lot of therapy was given to him and there would be family therapy by someone who had better insight to difficult child's personality because they would see more of difficult child and could better distinguish what was manipulative and intentional and what was symptommatic and then help me with stratategies. Oh- and someone would be with him more to point out sympotmmatic behavior to him and help him with decisions during those times, to teach him how to do this on his own. Not that we would be experts after six months, but to get us on the right track so that outpatient services would be enough to keep us moving in that direction. I guess I viewed it as "jump-starting" the process, not the cure all. And, they are more qualified people who observe difficult child in various settings then put together an IEP and help get this in place at the home school, so difficult child has a smooth transition and it isn't the sd writing the IEP based on what they can and will offer- theoretically, it is an IEP truly written around what the difficult child needs and what they have seen work or not work with him.

Now that I read my own words, that sure sounds pretty idealistic. But, yep, that is what I want. And all of us on this board probably want that too! LOL!

 

[flutterbee]

klmno -

Contact your local United Way agency and see if they have a provider in your area for these services.

I literally just stumbled across such a place in my area when I was looking for something completely unrelated online. This would have been good to know about 18 months ago when I was desperately seeking what you are right now and unable to find it.