[sassafras]

I mean she is just getting worse. I get a call every other day. She has punched the wall, punched her window, cursed out staff, cursed out peers. Will they finally just pull the plug and send her home?

[Kerbchek]

I'm not sure how long she's been in the RTC, but from my experience of working at a couple different residential treatment facilities for kids with psychiatric problems, kids would come in, do well for a while, then go seriously down hill, then start to improve and "hopefully" be prepared for discharge when the time was right. The doc would be adjusting meds, they'd be bringing up stuff in thereapy, and the "honeymoon" time would be over shortly after admission... Kids used to stay for an average of 18 months at the one I still currently work part time at during the summers, now the average stay is a year or less. That concerns me as I felt the most benefit was made after being there several months. I also found, after working for a few different treatment facilities, that they're defiantely not all the same...

[Joy2566]

Well, the benefit is that they are seeing the behaviors. My dd often presents as very sweet and I have been told many times that her issues are behavioral, not mental health. I would question why they are calling you. What are you supposed to do about it? Isn't that why she is there, because the behaviors are more than you can handle and they are supposed to be working on them. My dd was sent home way before she was ready. They misled me, but when I got the reports, she had made zero progress.

[lucyjoy]

Acting out normally buys them a longer stay or a transfer to a more secure facility. If she's unsafe there, she's unsafe at home.

[sassafras]

She has been there since March. So that's what 7 months but really honeymooned the first 5 which they said is pretty common in RAD kids. They are calling me to inform me that they have filled out an incident report on her. I am actually glad they call because I am being kept informed. When I talk to her I just telll her I love her and I am very sad she keeps making poor choices that lengthen her stay there.

The doctor is adusting her meds. Just took her off Strattera and started Zoloft.

Yes I know they are not all the same. There were some we would NOT have put her in which were really unsafe. This one is safe but I don't have alot of confidence in her therapist. It seems my daughter runs her in circles and controls alot of their sessions.

[slightx]

I share your frustrations. Our 10 yo son has been in an RTC since August and has gotten much worse. His honeymoon lasted about two weeks (was named Resident of the week both weeks, though!!!) and now we're getting daily reports of red level drops due to posturing at staff, instigating, disruptions, cursing, etc. You name it, he's done it. We like the staff, the therapist and the program...it's just not working.

They're looking at bumping up his care level, which could involve a placement in a more secure facility. Probably won't happen before we exhaust financial assistance the end of the month. hahaha

The Great State of Texas is one of the few where RTC isn't covered by Medicaid, my insurance will only cover acute care and fortunately we got some help from a nonprofit, but they're out of funding.

Learned yesterday if we want to be able to continue residential care we'll need to go back to the state (Texas) and seek to give DPRS temporary managing conservatorship. Go before a judge and beg for mercy? Admit abject failure? Oh, joy! I cannot wait to have CPS back in my life, with home visits by an incompetent and useless caseworker, clueless attorneys and CASA volunteers and utlimately a judge who will condemn us for not living up to our end of the bargain.

Not going to happen. We'll bring him home, issue flak jackets to his siblings, stock up on spackle and Tylenol, and do what we can.

[Peggy]

When my dd went to a residential facility I had to go through the court and the facility takes over (temporarily) the custody of the child. I also*had to give them our subsidy to cover costs. I did feel like a failure, but it was my own feeling of not being able to take care of my dd. The court was not as judgemental as I thought they would be. Her GAL worked with me to try and find the best facility, and her probation officer and DCF worker were well aware that her problems were not caused by me. She is home now and while hardly perfect, she is better.

[slightx]

Reassuring that somebody went through this process fairly unscathed. It's still scary. Our CPS just doesn't seem to be the same one we worked with for 12 years as therapeutic foster parents and adoptive parents. Maybe its a control thing as a parent, but my gut tells me to be very wary.

[Peggy]

Yes,
And I am in a different state. It was still scary for me, I don't know how many times I asked if I was going to be charged with anything or lose parental rights. Of course my daughter was acting out in such a way she had become a danger to herself and I had to call the police several times. She also got worse before she got better while at the residential setting. It seems to be the pattern. There are some sadly that do not get better.

[aspenhall]

Originally Posted by sassafras

When I talk to her I just telll her I love her and I am very sad she keeps making poor choices that lengthen her stay there.

It sounds like she may be wanting to stay in the RTC. And you gave her the keys to control it. Not that it's a bad thing