So Now I really really feel bad for foster kids in Residential Treatment Center (RTC)'s

[crazymama30]

So I went to family therapy today. Session went well, had wrap care coordinator on speaker before difficult child came in. She basically told therapist to quit trying to educate me and trying to teach me how to avoid difficult child's triggers, I already know that. I started listing off books i had read about various diagnoses, and the therapist cut me off after I listed 5 and clearly was going to keep going! lol. Family therapy went better than it had in the past, difficult child has a really hard time thinking back to when he was home (he said that was a long time ago, it was a month but does feel like years) and really could not identify things to work on. Then therapist started asking what was not ok in our house. He could list those off. She asked him about his throat clearing, and if he knew he was doing it. sigh. Of course he knows he does it, he just did it!!!!!!!!!


I was supposed to see psychiatrist at 4pm with difficult child. Apparently she went home sick, but no one called me untill we got back. It would have been nice to leave a little earlier, as difficult child and I were running out of cheap things to do. He even taught me how to play magic!!

So I asked when the next appointment was??

The receptionist told me 12/19. WTH????? OHhhh no, no way.

So I calmly, quietly and politely asked her who I could speak with if that was not appropriate? and yes, that was exactly how it went. She had the phone to her ear in seconds. Offered me an appointment tomorrow. Is psychiatrist going to be feeling well enough? I asked. How about Thursday? She said. I said yes.

So if i had not been there to push, he would have gone 2 more weeks with a tic, a funny leg movement, and on medications that are making things worse???? Is that what foster kids go through, as they have no one to advocate for them??? That is horrible.

I am seriously now getting ticked off, and not sure if it is at the facility or psychiatrist. psychiatrist changed medications twice and I was notified after, big no no, she blew off difficult child's tics last week as allergies (even the family therapist says they are tics), and then tries to have him go 2 weeks between appts? If I was not seeing positive things in difficult child from just being there? His hiney would have been in the car with me going home.

therapist did appologize for allowing difficult child to talk to s2bx without a therapist present, and did talk to staff and that should not happen again.

I was going to call my psychiatrist here for advice, and her voicemail was answered with a male voice (she usually is on there herself). Must have been her husband, and she has laryngitis! Now how am I supposed to get advice from someone who cannot talk?? Must be soemthing in the air, first my therapist, then psychiatrist at Residential Treatment Center (RTC), now psychiatrist at home!!!!


I think I am going to in some polite but firm manner tell Residential Treatment Center (RTC) psychiatrist that communication between her and I needs to improve, and the seroquel needs to be stopped. If she cannot manage this? Is there someone on staff who can?

Can I fire a psychiatrist at Residential Treatment Center (RTC) if there are other psychiatrists there? Will I become such a pain that they discharge him before he is ready to get rid of me? Should I call and talk to someone above her or talk to her first? I am going with talk with her first.

Sorry I have been so self centered in my posting, I can barely keep up with my own life right now!

 

[Liahona]

I don't know what they do where you are, but here the kids who didn't have parents got assigned volunteers from the community. Still, its not the same. I felt bad for the other kids in difficult child 1's Residential Treatment Center (RTC). They all knew who we were and it wasn't until later I learned that most of them never got visits. The volunteers mostly came to meetings.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Is that what foster kids go through, as they have no one to advocate for them??? That is horrible.

What is even worse, is kids who HAVE parents... and the parents just dump them into Residential Treatment Center (RTC) and never show up - no visits, no advocate, no meetings.

In a perfect world... but that's not where we live.

 

[JJJ]

Having a competent parent advocate for them can get a child better service -- in Residential Treatment Center (RTC) and in the community. Parents of children in foster care retain the right to advocate for their child (even if certain decisions must be made by DCFS and not the parent). The problem is that it takes a certain level of intelligence, emotional maturity and cultural competence to be a strong advocate. So many parents do not have those skills.

 

[crazymama30]

JJJ, I know we have some members here who have kids in foster care, but I really did not direct that at them. It was more at the parents of kids who are sent to Residential Treatment Center (RTC) and the parent does not visit, or even call (not to be confused with kanga, lord knows you tried and that is an extreme circumstance), mainly the kiddos that are removed from the parents house due to neglect or abuse, kiddos that those on the board have ended up adopting.

 

[TerryJ2]

I often think that about my cousin in assisted living.

Some people have advocates, some don't. Great that you were able to jump on it like that.

 

[buddy]

Of course it always depends on the circumstances and if there is even one person who is willing to advocate for a child. I firmly believe that if Q had been with his bio parents he would have died, if he had not been in foster care (and with a family who could get him care directly) he would not have had such a significant brain injury, would have had an mri right when he started seizures/delays....not a year later when so much damage was done. But the things that went right, a school staff that helped the foster mom who was trying to convince social services to get a new neuro. He would have died if left to social services. And his social worker loved him. She actually flew to MN on her own dime twice to see him. she wanted to adopt him herself but couldn't. But she was part of the system