The system is so messed up in so many ways.....

toughlovin

Well-Known Member
I should be feeling optimistic right now but I am just frustrated with the craziness of the systems we have out there.

So my son had drug court today and I went. I had talked to him Monday and he was feeling pretty depressed... good that he called me and told me because he is sharing more with me than he ever has before and that is good. Anyway he has not been on his medications since he has been in jail..... and that is frustration number 1. I mean really they should keep him on his medications. Last time I jumped up and down about it and called the sherriff who I know. This time I am really trying to stay out of it as much as I can so I did nothing and he is off medications!!

So he asked if I would check with the drug court coordinator to see if anything is happening. I said ok and texted her yesterday. I did this because in jail he really cant call her unless a case manager helps him, and they have so many people it is hard to get any real help. Again I pushed this last time through my contacts but this time I did not. Actually a lot was in the works and so he is close to getting into a residential program and she was calling a 30 day tx program who takes our insurance. They actually had a bed and so were going to talk to him today by phone once he was at the courthouse. The drug court folks all know that jail is not really what he needs. I have felt that a couple of weeks in jail has been good in reminding him of the path he is on and so is good in the short term.... but it is also clear that the usefulness of jail has run its course and now he is just getting depressed and losing hope and it is not good.
They asked if I could drive him to the program today and I said I would. So I was hopeful today that I would have a little time with my son, and get him to a program which looked pretty good and he would get stabalized back on medications.

So when I got to court I learned that the insurance wont pay because he has been in jail and so hasnt used in 3 weeks. They wont pay for someone who is sober....even if he was only sober because he was in jail!!!! And if he hadnt been in jail he would be using!!! Are they nuts???? They are going to have some deaths on their hands with that kind of policy. It is crazy!!! And it just ticks me off big time!!

Now the good news is he has gotten into a residential program starting tuesday... so he will be transported to court on Tuesday and I will pick him up there and drive him to the program. It is going to be a lot of driving for me and a hassle but I am willing to do it. It apparently is a good program and there was another guy at drug court who is about to graduate the program, and will continue to stay there as a graduate!

So that is all good. The probation officer told me that he talked to my son and said that everything he has done is childish stuff, stupid stuff. And the huffing of whipped cream is just going to kill brain cells so then he will be like a 6 year old and will get into even more trouble!

My son did a good job talking to the judge and hopefully was being honest. Said he has gottent o a certain point of desperation and so needs to do this for him. And acknowledged that many in the court room had heard it before.... and also acknowledged that he has been here before and so the thing he needed to do was to keep his motivation. So lets hope he is serious this time. I will believe it when I see it.

So appaently the residential place will get him a doctor and get his medications straightened out once he gets there.

I am thankful he is in drug court..... but gosh there are so many things about the treatment and justice system that need to be fixed.

TL


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dstc_99

Well-Known Member
There are way too many loopholes in insurance. It's ridiculous the things they and the system are allowed to get away with.

Hopefully this place will be helpful for him. I think you are doing the right thing by helping to get him to the residential facility.
 

Nancy

Well-Known Member
TL my husband has had clients go to jail that were on medications and he had to fight tooth and nail for them to get their medications. It shouldn't be this way. We have had several deaths in our jails here from people who were incarcerated and withdrawn from their drugs. Supposedly they are now required to have a psychiatrist see these people within so many days of being jailed, but even that is too long.

I think drug court should be in every city. We have to start treating these people differently than others in the justice system. They need treatment not jail.
 

Childofmine

one day at a time
It appears in our jails here that they are continued on their medications. At least my son has been able to receive his depression medicine each time.

I would think they would WANT the inmates to stay on their medications, to make a more calm inmate population. But what do I know?

One problem is getting the medications once they are released, even a short supply of them. They are on the street, one day, quickly, with no medications and it takes several days for them to get their medications.

I don't know. That is a small part of so many things that need to be changed to help people who have a primary diagnosis---the large majority of them---addiction, who are filling up our jails.
 
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