Author Archives: David's Father

A nice relaxed visit with David

Mom and I visited David today. Took him off campus for ice cream at the DQ.  Drove through a park on the way back to the facility.  Then we watched David play basketball with the staff. It is interesting to note that the staff was consistent in their praise about how well David is doing.  Yet, they don’t want to keep him at this facility. They operate on the level system there.  A B C.  level A is the highest and least restrictive.  David has been on Level A for over five days. Tweet #fighting4answrs

Frustrated with Frustrating PRTF’s and Frustration with Bureaucracy

This is really a two part post. ————— First, David was accepted at the new facility.  Which is pretty good, as we haven’t done anything other than sign a release of diagnostic records for them to give a “tentative approval”.    There are a lot of hoops to jump through in order to be able to place David at an out of state facility.  First, he needs three denials from in-state facilities.  Second, an Interstate Compact has to be established.  Third, Medicaid has to approve it. These three items can’t be accomplished until we submit something called a Universal Application which has to be updated at least yearly. The facility where he currently resides wants to bump David’s staffing, likely there are thinking that this will allow David to be placed faster.  Thankfully, most of the team isn’t ready for that to happen. The thing is… I asked the social worker

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How we are seen as parents

I am regularly told, how inspirational I am as a parent. How my wife and I are such good people for what we are going through in regards to David and his care. For fighting for him and his rights to care. Quite honestly, there are times when we feel, let me correct that, when I feel that I am failing as a parent. There are no magic answers when raising a child with severe mental illness.  You just do the best you can with the information that you are given, demand answers when needed, and bulldog for your child the rest of the time. David didn’t ask to be born the way he is.  Someone else made that decision every time they made the decision to use drugs while pregnant with him. We use medicine to help David be stable enough to learn self-control.  Are we successful?  Yes and

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