So not long ago I assessed a young man who had the ubiquitous laundry list of issues that the people we see tend to have.
He was in foster care for ten years of his life.
Numerous placements.
Numerous hospitalizations.
Considering that he had been in custody for a decade (he offered no details as to why), it's understandable that his relationship with his mother might be slightly strained:
Him (to mom, when she tried to come into the room): I don't want you in here!
Mom: Fine!
And she left, leaving a slammed door in her wake.
I guess he was a little angry at her. In fact, I think it's safe to say he was angry in general.
Say you: You're probably right, but how do you know for sure?
Say me: He sorta had a brush with the law.
Say you: One time? Big deal.
Say me: Well, it was more than once...
There was a charge for credit card theft. Oh, all right, there were five charges for credit card theft.
And there was an assault and battery charge.
And there was a burglary charge.
And there was one more. Let me see.....
Oh yeah! There was an arson charge.
All open and winding their way through the court system. With our guy attached to them of course.
And I guess he felt that the best way to avoid jail was to go ahead and try to off himself. The day before a court hearing, where he was due to either pony up a bunch of money or head to the pokey. And then there was the small matter of a bench warrant.
His attorney and his parents, including step parents? All of them, without exception, wanted me to arrange for him to be hospitalized.
Until July.
Because that's when his next court date was. And if he had been in a psychiatric facility for several weeks before his appearance? Well, then, that would help prove he had some serious mental health issues at play.
Except, well, you know, can't do that. The most I can do is send someone involuntarily, and then it's only a 72 hour stint. And I certainly can't guarantee that any psychiatrist is going to hold on to someone for more than about five days, which is the average length of stay.
But that didn't stop every grown up invovled trying to argue the point. Again. And again. And again. Because I have that much power, right? I can just make the mental health inpatient system turn on a dime for this one kid.
The third time the father called from out-of-state wanting to talk to me, I told the nurse to tell him I had left.
Yes, I did. Sue me. (So to speak.) ->
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Posted
18 May 2009 2:10 PM
by
Trench Warfare
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