PRTF Level Care

When your child requires PRTF level care, you hope that the facility he enters is full of compassionate individuals who want the best interest of your child.  You hope that your child will find long term care if that is what is necessary.

Today we were notified that our son received the third denial for in-state care.  This means that now we are looking at out of state facilities to provide “the same level” of care as he is getting now.  This is being done under the guise of “we just don’t think that we can meet his needs anymore”.

Last Spring, when we had a meeting with the school, and the teaching staff told us that David needed care at a different level, the treatment staff told us that they weren’t ready to give up.

Then, two months later, they did just that.  As we neared the one year anniversary date of David’s placement at this facility, they became more enthusiastic about placing him elsewhere.

Not sure what to think about all of this.  I do know that it is my belief that the PRTF is bailing out on my son.  The many reasons to transfer his care to this out of state facility are also the many reasons why we should maintain current placement.  Sadly, it is like the facility is giving up because after 1 year, David has made minimal progress.

David’s mental illness is varied.  To say that he isn’t making progress is like saying he suddenly is healed.  We can’t measure the treatment of mental illness in that way.

Has he regressed?  In some ways yes.  Every time he needs to have his meds adjusted, which is about every 90 days, he has a period of regression.  When he was first admitted we informed the facility that this would be the case.  Yet, they cite those periods where he was in need of a medicine change as the reason for a change of placement.

So now it becomes a matter of when, not if he gets moved to another facility.

Sadly, we applied to other facilities in the state, and it appears to me, that these facilities have adopted the mindset that if “his current placement can’t handle him, then we can’t either.”  Which would also be an indicator that getting him accepted into a facility at a future date here in the state likely won’t happen.

I struggle to understand how moving David 500 miles away from his family is going to help him.

In spite of all reports about how well David is doing, the facility wants to move forward with a transfer.  I just don’t understand that.

What is really sad is that in 6 years, David will be an adult.  When PRTF facilities don’t want to provide the care he needs, he will be released to society.  At that point, he is at risk of becoming an inmate in a prison.  Mentally ill people do not belong in prisons.  Do they?  Maybe I am looking in the wrong place for help on behalf of David, but I don’t think so.

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