Fighting for Answers | Category Archives: Mental Health – Child | Page 4Mental Health - Child Archives - Page 4 of 123

Second Guesses

Second Guesses It’s been a long day, and while my body is tired, I can’t turn off my brain. See, This is the second time in a month we have had David’s time in the facility extended. While we both knew it was a possibility, I can’t help but feel that he is being let down. I mean, it’s a huge victory for him to continue where he is successful until we can get supports in place for him to come out of the facility, but it’s not easy. In hindsight, I really don’t think David will see it as a victory, at least not until many years down the road. But it is a victory for him. For his care. It’s not easy to tell your child, “You can’t come home yet.” Even if they know and claim to understand the why of it. David understands that in order

Less than 24 hours and a wake up

Less than 24 hours and a wake up from now, barring some intervention, David will be home. He will come home from a supported environment where he has constant supervision, consistent support, and success in school, to home. Home where we can’t recreate the level of support he has now. Where we will live on edge waiting for him to fall apart mentally. We are appealing the denials, but all of that takes time. The Developmental Disabilities denial, the supported living staff denial, and general disregard for the welfare of not just the family, but of David. I am preparing a complaint with the ethics board that governs psychologists because of their unauthorized testing of David. I don’t understand how a facility that claims to be helping children, can be so emboldened as to deny ongoing care. David understands that he may go to a therapeutic foster home if we

SMI and the Tragedy of Adulthood

SMI – Serious Mental Illness The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which defines SMI (Serious Mental Illness) as: A mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder (excluding developmental and substance use disorders); Diagnosable currently or within the past year; Of sufficient duration to meet diagnostic criteria specified within the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV); and, Resulting in serious functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. So, what does this have to do with David? David came to us when he was 18 months old. We became his parents, legally, 6 months later. In truth, since he was just months old, he has been a part of our lives. Mom had a home daycare. And we filled in as needed for his foster family‘s day care provider. David is 15 now, in the blink of an