[lucyjoy]

Art therapy? Not for this type of issue. Attachment therapy, maybe.

I was afraid of my son at 9 as well so I know how you feel.

Here's how this works where I live-you can't dissolve an adoption. You can rehome a child. We went the RTC route.

Now, as for the reunification, in order to get funding, that has to be the goal. Does it mean anyone thinks the child will ever live at home? Not always. We did have to do the whole family therapy thing but we were able to do it by phone. My son couldn't live at home and we all knew it. So, even if that is the stated goal, I wouldn't stress over it.

Not sure you can avoid bringing him home, though, if the psych hospital isn't recommending longer term placement. You need a paper trail. Were there other hospital stays? Does he have a therapist he's seen that might back you up? Those things tend to help in securing an out of home placement. If he's home any amount of time, I'd recommend alarms on all kids rooms for safety.

Since he knows how to play the game to charm the hospital staff, wondered if you had any relatives that think he's fine and would take him short term while you figure out your options to avoid the abandonment issue?(hey, your kids would be safe, right?). Will CPS offer you respite? Sometimes support groups know about private respite providers that KNOW about kids with issues like your sons where the child can appear fine and be dangerous-worth asking about.

Good luck. I know to well how painful all this is, especially having to try to prove how sick your kids is to someone who is clueless.