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Child With Mental Health Issues...Need Help

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Madison31

Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Michigan

I apologize for the length, but it is complicated.

I have primary physical. We have joint legal. My son is 6 and has lived with me his entire life. His father is suppose to get our son every other weekend from Friday til Sunday. In 6 years, he's only picked up our son once on a Friday. He goes weeks/months without seeing him. My son has been in therapy for 2 years, and on meds for 7 months for a diagnosed mood disorder/very probable Childhood Bipolar. His father has never been to any therapy sessions for, or with our son. I am on intermittent FMLA from work (RN) to take care of our son during his episodes. His father has been married for 6 years. In our court papers it says he is not to leave child alone with her. She has a long history of drug and alcohol abuse, along with domestic violence. I had to file a PPO on her 4 weeks ago because she threatened to kill me in front of my son. She does not have custody of her own 12 yr. old. It was an abandonment case. When my son was with his dad for a week in the summer, it's not even in court papers that I have to let him take him anymore than every other weekend, but at that point, I was still strongly encouraging a relationship between our son and his father. He did not give our son his Bipolar meds for an entire week, which caused our son to have a major episode and I had to stay home from work to take care of him. CPS is involved now and my son told them many things when they saw him at his school. After they spoke with him, CPS told me not to send him with his dad right now. I filed a motion in court with my lawyer 3 weeks ago, with a letter from my son's psychologist, to stop visitation until an investigation is done on his father and his wife. Until the father attends therapy with our son, goes to parenting classes, and attends educational courses for parents of children with special emotional needs. We have not been to court yet. But my concerns are getting worse. Defendant's eldest child (14) refuses to go to their house because of the domestic violence, and the drug and alcohol abuse. The wife takes the 14 yr old on "drug runs". The 14 is able to identify the house. The Defendant's parents are attempting to get custody of their 4 yr old that lives with them because of the above issues and more. My son has repeatedly told his therapist that he's afraid to go over there, that they drink and physically fight over there. There is an order for no drinking around our son. I cannot even talk to my son's dad without his wife screaming at me in the background, and he will not do anything about it. I've resorted to using a TTY whenever I talk to him now. And he threatened me, that if I take him back to court, he will try to get "custody."

There is much more, but this is too long as it is. What more can I do? What more should I do?
 


Madison31

Member
Also, he is $8,000.00 behind on CS. There was a bench warrant for his arrest because of this.

I have detailed documentation from the last year regarding the Father's and wife's behavior. His lack of being in our son's life. Degrading messages he has left for both me and our son..calling me horrible names, and making fun of our son. In 2 years he has not attended any of our son's extracurricular activities such as soccer and baseball, any school functions. One Saturday he had him when our son had a soccer game, but his dad refused to take him. That's the only game my son has ever missed.

Some of his family members have volunteered to testify on my behalf. Plus, I have my family, who has helped me take care of my son for the last 6 years when I was either working or going to school. And they take my son on the weekends that his father cancels, or doesn't show up...because I work on those weekends. They will testify also.
 

Silverplum

Senior Member
Also, he is $8,000.00 behind on CS. There was a bench warrant for his arrest because of this.

I have detailed documentation from the last year regarding the Father's and wife's behavior. His lack of being in our son's life. Degrading messages he has left for both me and our son..calling me horrible names, and making fun of our son. In 2 years he has not attended any of our son's extracurricular activities such as soccer and baseball, any school functions. One Saturday he had him when our son had a soccer game, but his dad refused to take him. That's the only game my son has ever missed.

Some of his family members have volunteered to testify on my behalf. Plus, I have my family, who has helped me take care of my son for the last 6 years when I was either working or going to school. And they take my son on the weekends that his father cancels, or doesn't show up...because I work on those weekends. They will testify also.
Just a couple of FYIs:

1. Child support is utterly separate from custody/parenting time. Don't mix the two.

2. Unless specified in the court order, Dad doesn't have to take the child anywhere. You are responsible to not schedule anything during Dad's time. If you do so, he doesn't have to honor your schedule.
 

Madison31

Member
Thank you. We already had the hearing for the CS.

Yes, it is in our court papers that he has to take child to his extracurricular activities that occur on his parenting time, and be thre on time.
 

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