tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3852422397272068136.post4932083460857415317..comments2023-12-26T17:10:25.915-06:00Comments on Muddling through Mayhem: No Animal Left Behindmarythemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08205319256573120866noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3852422397272068136.post-87835151812584563962011-10-22T10:29:01.131-05:002011-10-22T10:29:01.131-05:00augh - and when will you even have time to sleep o...augh - and when will you even have time to sleep or go to the bathroom? hehe, can you tell I get so few laughs around here that I have to make up my own?<br /><br />When we were fighting for RTC for my son (gave up long ago) his home-based therapist (who saw him on average of 3-5 times per week) PROMISED me a letter stating all of the things he had tried with my son over the 8 mos he saw him. This was a promise made when he informed me that my son had "plateaued" in therapy (I hadn't seen any improvement at all) and he would not be working with him any longer if I okayed it. Well, fine, I said, I will ok that if you write me a detailed letter stating that you worked with him, the dates, how often you saw him, what methods you used, etc so that I could submit it to Medicaid (MI) to prove I had exhausted all community resources - and this was the end of the line according to the experts I talked to before he started seeing this therapist. I was PROMISED this letter for months and when I got it -I wanted to SCREAM. It basically said my son was wonderful and had made tremendous progress, but needed a little break from therapy. We both knew this wasn't true. Then I got the news from some of his other clients (former and current) who told me the real reason he wouldn't put it in writing was because of some rule that said that whomever actually said he needed RTC had to fund it, and their facility would not fund the RTC's in MI because they used punitive methods of punishment such as isolation (time outs) and with holding of priviledges. Nice to know. So, what would be a punishment for a teen when they're having a meltdown? I am still in disbelief over the "fun" stuff these kids get at the psych unit - whole bags of candy and cans of pop, pool table (yeah, we can't have a pool table at home because of our very real fear that my son will use a pool stick over someone's head or throw a ball thru the window - or at someone, but sure give him unlimited access in the hospital, I'm sure it'll be fine), foosball, unlimited movies (things I would NEVER let my son watch at home because of his immaturity) and generally tokens for breathing. Lets ignore the fact that he comes out of the shower with dry hair, smelling like a dirty animal - give him a token anyway. Ignore the fact that he refuses to participate in therapy and has learned all of the key phrases (from other very disturbed kids) to say when you want out of your home (my mom starves me, beats me, locks me in my room are all sure to get you some extra special attention) - give him a bag (or 3) of candy for winning at bingo! It was laughable and a complete waste of money. I learned there is no help in our state - no one wants to pay and its so expensive that it's unrealistic to even think about us paying out of pocket for services that make no sense to us.<br /><br />Keep fighting, at least when it's all over you will know you tried your hardest - which might be all you can do. I don't lose any sleep over it any more. You can't access what doesn't truly exist.Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14612523674452864077noreply@blogger.com