Hunter's behavior has steadily declined, and Rick and Sandy continued to be at their wit's end regarding what to do. At age 16, Hunter is physically pretty large, and Sandy is scared of him. Rick is to the point that he can't control him physically any longer, and Hunter knows it. The psychiatrist has prescribed high doses of medication for Hunter, and those often have an effect, but it seems like there is something happening at home in particular that can set Hunter off like no other place can. The school is able to keep Hunter mostly out of trouble, but he is almost self-contained all day with a 1 to 1 aide.
It was the constant threat of violence that had Sandy and Rick looking for help anywhere they could get it. Finally, on the day that Hunter ran at Rick and pushed him through the sliding glass door, Sandy called the police. Rick and Hunter were a mess of glass and blood when the police arrived. Both were taken to the ER for lacerations, and, remarkably, neither suffered lasting injury. Hunter was taken to the one place in the state that dealt with acute care for children in psychiatric distress.
* In Virginia, where would a child like Hunter go for short-term
psychiatric stabilization? What is the process for transitioning from
that facility to a longer-term residential facility?
* What residential treatment options are available in Virginia for children like Hunter? Would Hunter meet admission criteria for these programs? Who would pay for a stay in a treatment center?
* What are the decision processes that might ensue regarding whether or not Hunter returns home after treatment? What should be considered when making such a decision?
* If Hunter does not return home, where would he go after he finishes treatment?
* If Hunter were 18 years of age and the above scenario occurred, where would he likely go? For how long?
DECISION POINT:
Does Hunter return home after his stay at the residential facility?
1. Northern Virginia provides a short-term psychiatric stabilization program for youth ages 12-17 called Grafton Continuum. In order to reside there you must fill out an application, have an interview and if you are eligible for admission, a plan is made for the child or patient within 24 hours. Their main goal is to get the patient to return to their home as soon as possible and provide the necessary treatment in order to do so.
ReplyDeleteGrafton integrated health network (2011). About Grafton. Retrieved from http://www.grafton.org/about-grafton/about-grafton.html
2. Grafton provides residential treatment options for children like Hunter. There are many requirements in order be reviewed as a potential patient. The patient must complete an application, provide a school history (including IEP), school transcript, medical history including current medications, treatment history, recent psychological evaluations, discharge summaries from previous placements, psychiatric report, social history, individual family service plan, emotional, speech, occupational and physical therapy evaluations, dental exam and insurance information. There are a lot of requirements in order to be placed in this facility, but these are all necessary because of the fact that there is a very specific and important reason that they are there. They need to know everything about the patient in order to help them. In order to pay for this service, the parent must sign a pharmacy services agreement stating that they are responsible for charges made to the Family Care Pharmacy at Grafton School. Grafton does not provide accident and medical insurance. General fees include academic costs (tuition, textbooks, writing, supplies, lunch and supervision during the school day), plus for residential students it includes a room, full board for seven days a week and all recreational activities. All costs depend on the At-Risk Youth and Families which publishes a Virginia’s Service Fee directory.
ReplyDeleteGrafton integrated health network (2011). Admissions. Retrieved from http://www.grafton.org/admissions/admissions.html
There are many things that would contribute to this decision;
ReplyDelete• How has Hunter improved through his treatment session
• Have their been any anger outburst where Hunter had been harmful to others around him.
• Has Hunter been able to talk with the therapist specific to what triggers his mood swing at home
• Do Mom and Dad feel safe with Hunter at home?
• Have Mom and Dad gone to therapy or talked to someone about how they can help deal with Hunters autistic behaviors.
• Which setting would Hunter like to see himself in? It’s important to have input from the client himself. If he is going to be put in a situation where he knows he will be unhappy, they should reconsider their options.
When making such a decision;
• Input from Hunter, his parents and therapist should be considered and looked at thoroughly
• His progress through treatment
• How long would Hunter stay in this environment if that is what they choose
• Since Hunter is autistic, he will need to be presented with a detailed plan
If Hunter did not return home after his treatment, he could be placed into a group home with other individuals who have intellectual disabilities. This setting may be a good place for Hunter because it would be similar to his residential facility. At these houses, the number of individuals differs. However, there is always an adult staff member working who is trained to deal with behavioral issues that may arise and they are accurately trained and informed about disabilities that each individual has. Since it seems as though it is something within Hunter’s house that sets him off, putting him in a different setting may help prevent any dangerous situations. At a group home, Hunter would still be able to attend school, get a job if he wanted and see his family often. If Hunter tends to behavior around his family, the group home will not prevent him from staying in contact with him, they can plan weekly trips, lunches, etc. A group home setting is a way to help the individual grow as a person!
ReplyDeleteIf the above scenario occurred and Hunter was 18, we feel that the state would consider him an adult and he would be taken to jail for at least the night. He would be charged with assault and end up in serious trouble if his parents pursued to press charges against him. However, because of Hunter's emotional state and mental state he might be placed in a mental hospital in isolation for a while.
ReplyDeleteDecision point: Hunter returns home after his stay at the residential facility.
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ReplyDeleteGroup 7 questions-
ReplyDeleteWhat are certain triggers that get to Hunter? What have Rick and Sandy noticed throughout the years that always seem to get to him?
What are Hunter's social interactions at school? Although he receives an aide, does he have friends? What are they like? Are they aggressive, leading him to believe that this behavior is normal?