Post Adoption Resources Lacking
Behavioral or mental health issues of some adopted children often leave adoptive parents with few options. This series of articles is an example of the struggle for services that adoptive parents like ourselves have been hearing about for years.
The following is a relative adoption case of an 8-year old girl who spent most of her life in and out of foster care. After the adoption, she became violent.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/bonds-of-adoption-loosen-under-strain-of-a-childs-mental-illness/1137171 [St Petersburg Times 11/30/10 by Jessica Vander Velde]
The first struggle for the family was getting authorities to listen “Kelley tried to have the girl held under the Baker Act, but authorities decided she wasn’t a threat to herself or others.”
The second struggle was using a crisis center “A children’s crisis center accepted the girl at Kelley’s request but released her within 24 hours.”
Finally, “After months of searching for help, Kelley found the Tampa Bay Academy”
While Medicaid paid the bill of hospitalization for six months, the next struggle came when the child was set to be released even though the parent felt that the child still needed intensive mental health care.
Additionally this facility was under scrutiny for “violence between patients, runaways, bullying and an instance where a child on two occasions smashed a toilet and used the shards to slit his or her wrists” that led to a permanent shut down.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/tampa-bay-academy-to-shut-down-lay-off-199-employees/1139239 [St Petersburg Times 12/11/10 by Jessica Vander Velde and Jeff Harrington]
The parent was faced with a dilemma we have heard repeatedly over the years. The November 30th article states, “officials try to work with the parents — by suggesting other facilities or special foster homes — but if the parents don’t cooperate, they could be charged with child neglect”.
Parents trying to do the right thing for their child are sometimes subject to child neglect charges.
Appeals are possible but not widely known. According to the November 30th article, “When services are denied or reduced, Durden said, parents can appeal. But Kelley said she learned only last week that an appeal was possible.”
Without Medicaid, facilities can be too costly for many families. “With the academy at risk of closing, she looked into another facility. But it would cost her $54 a day. A month’s stay is almost half of her take-home pay, she said.”
Typically, the cost of out-of-home care is astronomical.
The day after the first article appeared another article states, “the girl’s therapy team has recommended a step down to group care. He said that Medicaid would pay $185 a day for therapy but isn’t allowed by law to pay the room and board costs.” However, you can read in the comments section that the step down agreement did not take place until she told them that she was going to the Press.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/mother-gets-two-more-weeks-to-find-psychiatric-care-for-her-adopted/1137403 [St Petersburg Times 12/1/10 by Jessica Vander Velde]
A four to six month resolution was explained on December 2nd when “Just after 10 a.m., Kelley got the response she wanted: The 13-year-old will get to stay in a therapeutic group home, and it will cost Kelley only the $513 a month she gets from the state for the girl’s care.”
http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/cocoa-group-home-to-take-in-troubled-hillsborough-teen/1137620 [St Petersburg Times 12/2/10 by Jessica Vander Velde]
But what happens after that if she is still not safe enough to come home? Will the cycle start again? What options are available to parents? What happens to the children?
Readers, what struggles or successes have you had navigating the mental health care system? Are there tips that you can share with other adoptive families?
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