I am not sure how to feel about how things are progressing. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful that we appear to be getting the help that we have been wanting. Yet, why am I now feeling almost like we are fighting against what we fought for?
You see, one of the first responses we received was a letter from one of the state agencies. That official implied that long-term care should be a last resort measure, as there are so many more youth resources available that involve short-term intensive therapy. Her psychiatrist is pushing for long-term (six months to a year) placement. One of my granddaughter's newer counselors wants to try her on an intensive six-week therapy, one that will allow her to remain at home. If such a thing is possible and there is a chance for success, of course we want this chance for her. We do not to send her away anywhere, if there is a way for her to receive the help she needs and remain at home with us. The thought of long-term care is devastating to us all, especially if there are other options that can be successful.
Well, now there are meetings involving State of California officials and our county's Mental Health supervisors. From what we have been told, they are to determine what care my granddaughter has received, what care resources are available to her, and what is the best course of action now. This is great, right? But.... why are we not included in these meetings? Why are not the counselors and clinicians, who are the ones directly interacting with her, included in these meetings. Who is advocating for her personally?
While I am grateful that someone is stepping in to find out how and why her care was not managed properly and taking measures to make sure that is remedied, I am concerned about the fact that we are not included in any of this decision making. We want to work together with all those involved in my granddaughter's current, and future care. We want to know what these options are. We want to have a say in making decisions fully informed of what other choices we have. We don't want to fight against the opinion or recommendations of those who are trained in such matters. But we do want to be included. We don't know if these people are all agreeing on what is best for her, if there are differing opinions, or any of it.
I am just not comfortable with being secluded from all of this. It still feels like a group of people have more say than her own guardians, than the very people who know her as a person, not just a patient. Are these meetings being done without us because of possible litigation concerns? We care much, much more about her care now than what wasn't done right before. We cannot undo time nor any oversight. Something is being done now, and that is great. Just why do we still feel like we have little to no say?
I am going to be contacting the Deputy Administrator who reached out to me to voice these concerns. We still don't know what the resources are that she referred to. We are given vague remarks that my granddaughter is already receiving these resources. But if that is the case, why the need for secluded meetings? And why can no one actually give names to these resources. None of the counselors, nor clinicians, that I have spoken to have ever heard of the CMHP (County Mental Health Plan), that my granddaughter should have already been on, although they now claim that is what she has been receiving.. How can we be certain that she is receiving the best care if those caring for her don't even know what that care is called?
****To Be Continued...... I'll share more when I know more****
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