Too sick for mental health clinic???

[JJJ]

Kanga had a complete outburst in the lobby of the mental health clinic on Tuesday. Today husband and I get called into a meeting with the clinic director. If Kanga loses control like that again they will be calling the police - not to have her arrested but to get her under control -- and if they can't get her under control to transport to ER. Okay, I have no problem with that. But then they said if she has another outburst they won't be able to provide services anymore. Um, so she'd be too sick to see the doctors????

The good out of the meeting is that all 3 of our children will continue to receive services at the clinic. We have been approved for case management services (their description reminds me of what Timerlady gets), and Tigger is being jumped to the front of the que for psychological testing.

I'm still shaking my head at the idea that she'd be too sick to see the psychiatrists and tdocs.

 

[wheredidmylittleguygo]

Wow, I've never heard of that. Do they mean Kanga would have to go to different type of facility? One that is better equipped to restrain Kanga if the situation calls for it.

I'm glad your family is finally getting the attention from the clinic that you need. I hope it goes well.

Sylvia

 

[timer lady]

So, triple J, now that you have case management, what would the case manager recommend here?

Seriously, if you have a mental health case manager, this is exactly the type of situation you use him/her for. I call CM, who calls crisis team, ER, whatever. He more or less greases the wheels.

Utilize CM as much as you can, whenever it's necessary.

As to being to ill....ask them what their recommendation would be. JJJ, your difficult child needs help & if this clinic cannot do it, why waste the time?

Positive thoughts coming your way from MN. Take care of yourself, lady.

 

[Shari]

I'm with Linda, if they can't handle her, why bother?

Then again, I take my difficult child to a therapist who doesn't beleive she can really be much help to him until he's older, so who am I to ask. (in defense, I take him to keep a rapport built with her, so hopefully he'll talk to her someday).

 

[DammitJanet]

JJJ,

I have actually heard this phrase before...lol. One time I went to our local mental health facility...county, and I was asking for help for myself. This was back when the boys were younger and Cory was really difficult. I knew I was having an extremely hard time dealing with things and that something wasnt right with me but I wasnt sure what it was.

I went thru their intake evaluation process and gave the person a broad overview of my situation leaving out several of my more "interesting" issues and they point blank told me I was too severe to receive help thru county mental health. They never referred me to any other form of help or services or told me what they thought I should do...and I was simply asking for maybe some therapy and maybe some medications...maybe some help in getting to the root of the problem. Nope...I was too severe.

 

[Loris]

A new one on me, but something that just doesn't surprise me anymore, either. Pass the buck until you go away. There is a lot of that in California, in my humble opinion. It just plain stinks!

 

[kris]

certainly an interesting theory.

when i worked at a county outpatient mental health facility they had two levels. short term, which was for those who needed less intense interventions & were supposed to be time limited. the other level was the long~term folks....bipolar, schizophrenic, etc. those with-more issues. i never saw them turn anyone away.

that being said, they did have a childrens' unit, but i never worked there. i'm not sure what they would have done in a case like this.

if they are saying they can't treat her then, yes, it's the case manager's job to find treatment for her.

kris

 

[TerryJ2]

Janet and JJJ, oh, my! At LEAST they should give you a referral! OMG, that's outrageous. Especially when you're doing the right thing by being there.
I am sending strong vibes that they can help Kanga. The person you spoke with-was a moron and things will work out. Your new mantra: Things will work out. Things will work out. Things will work out.

 

[Sara PA]

Reminds me of when my son was in the partial program and prone to Celexa induced violent outbursts. One day they called me and told me he was being violent and I had to pick him up. Huh? Put a violent kid in a car to drive 15 miles home with the person he was most likely to be violent with? Surely they were joking. "We can't have him here if he's going to act like that," the director told me. "Why do you think he's in the program?" I asked. Obviously the people in charge firmly believed that all bad behavior is by choice and that malfunctioning brains aren't an issue. by the way, the doctor in charge of the program was his private doctor who was writing the presciption for the Celexa, totally ignorant that his behavior was an adverse reaction.

 

[jodyice]

I remember one time taking my son to the mental health clinic here and the doctor saying he would talk to us, his parents, but didn't want my son in the room with him. Never could figure that one help since it was our son he was to be seeing.

Triple J, I hope they will be able to help and not turn kanga away. Sending good thoughts your way.