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Neglegent Therapeutic Foster Care

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kakooi

Active Member
What is the name of your state? Alaska My son recently was discharged from a treatment facility for mental and behavioral issues. He was admitted into therapeutic foster care. We are a great distance apart and I am currently unable to visit him. So, he is totally dependent upon his foster father and other treatment providers there. My son is 14. About a month ago when my son was left alone for about four hours at night I was chatting online with him. He was very anxious and scared. (he suffers from anxiety) It was also time for him to take his meds while he was feeling anxious. I was trying to help him understand his meds but he got frustrated and walked away from our call. When he came back he said he had taken his meds, but could not remember which ones. He has meds for mood, antipsychotic, and many others.

I complained to his caseworker that my son did not have a phone available to get ahold of his foster dad, he was left alone for a long period of time, and he had access to and responsibility for his meds. She talked to the foster dad and then assured me that it was taken care of. He was going to get a landline and lock up the meds so that my son does not have access to them.

Just last weekend my son and I were chatting online again. He had his bag of meds. He had two prescriptions for the same med but at different dosages. He did not know which one to take. He was totally confused and stressed out again. Later in the day I recorded a phone conversation with him where I asked him about his meds, how they were handled, who was responsible, where they were kept, what his understanding of them was and what his foster father's understanding of them was. The answers were bad. They were not locked up. Even when the father was gone out of the house and the two foster boys were there the door to his room was left open so the boys could get their own meds. My son said he misses his meds 2 to 2.5 days per week. One day he slept in until 3pm and did not take his morning or afternoon meds.

Prior to all of this there was an episode where his psychotropic med was refilled and the strength was changed from 10 mg twice daily to 20 mg once daily. I didn't know about it except one day my son was talking to me and said he was out of a med. He said he had been out of it for a week. It was his antipsychotic med. When I talked to the foster father about it he confirmed and said the pharmacy would not fill it. When I researched it I found out that the previous prescription was changed to double the dose but once daily and was supposed to last for one month. my son was taking it twice daily and lasted for only two weeks. Nobody told me he ran out of the med. So he took double for two weeks and then none for one week. After the week with no meds my son reported to me that he was scared and nervous quite a lot. (paranoia?) He also said that one night he saw a person standing outside. I asked if he could see who it was. He said it was a dark figure. He described the experience as "paranormal".

My son has been there since July 11th and it is now September 11th. He has not had any therapy. His first therapy appointment has finally been scheduled for this coming Monday. He is often sitting alone at home. Even when the foster father is there the father is in his room. He doesn't do any activities with my son. They do not even eat dinner together.

Do I have any recourse here?
 


LdiJ

Senior Member
What is the name of your state? Alaska My son recently was discharged from a treatment facility for mental and behavioral issues. He was admitted into therapeutic foster care. We are a great distance apart and I am currently unable to visit him. So, he is totally dependent upon his foster father and other treatment providers there. My son is 14. About a month ago when my son was left alone for about four hours at night I was chatting online with him. He was very anxious and scared. (he suffers from anxiety) It was also time for him to take his meds while he was feeling anxious. I was trying to help him understand his meds but he got frustrated and walked away from our call. When he came back he said he had taken his meds, but could not remember which ones. He has meds for mood, antipsychotic, and many others.

I complained to his caseworker that my son did not have a phone available to get ahold of his foster dad, he was left alone for a long period of time, and he had access to and responsibility for his meds. She talked to the foster dad and then assured me that it was taken care of. He was going to get a landline and lock up the meds so that my son does not have access to them.

Just last weekend my son and I were chatting online again. He had his bag of meds. He had two prescriptions for the same med but at different dosages. He did not know which one to take. He was totally confused and stressed out again. Later in the day I recorded a phone conversation with him where I asked him about his meds, how they were handled, who was responsible, where they were kept, what his understanding of them was and what his foster father's understanding of them was. The answers were bad. They were not locked up. Even when the father was gone out of the house and the two foster boys were there the door to his room was left open so the boys could get their own meds. My son said he misses his meds 2 to 2.5 days per week. One day he slept in until 3pm and did not take his morning or afternoon meds.

Prior to all of this there was an episode where his psychotropic med was refilled and the strength was changed from 10 mg twice daily to 20 mg once daily. I didn't know about it except one day my son was talking to me and said he was out of a med. He said he had been out of it for a week. It was his antipsychotic med. When I talked to the foster father about it he confirmed and said the pharmacy would not fill it. When I researched it I found out that the previous prescription was changed to double the dose but once daily and was supposed to last for one month. my son was taking it twice daily and lasted for only two weeks. Nobody told me he ran out of the med. So he took double for two weeks and then none for one week. After the week with no meds my son reported to me that he was scared and nervous quite a lot. (paranoia?) He also said that one night he saw a person standing outside. I asked if he could see who it was. He said it was a dark figure. He described the experience as "paranormal".

My son has been there since July 11th and it is now September 11th. He has not had any therapy. His first therapy appointment has finally been scheduled for this coming Monday. He is often sitting alone at home. Even when the foster father is there the father is in his room. He doesn't do any activities with my son. They do not even eat dinner together.

Do I have any recourse here?
It depends on why your son is in foster care rather than with you.
 

kakooi

Active Member
My son is in therapeutic foster care because it is a step down from the treatment facility where he did a lot of work. He cannot come home because it would not yet be safe for him to live with my 7 year old daughter whom he offended. He has done a significant amount of work. However, there still needs to be family therapy. He is not a ward of the state. This is a private agency
 

quincy

Senior Member
Why are you a "great distance" from him? Could you not find a facility close to your home?
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
My son is in therapeutic foster care because it is a step down from the treatment facility where he did a lot of work. He cannot come home because it would not yet be safe for him to live with my 7 year old daughter whom he offended. He has done a significant amount of work. However, there still needs to be family therapy. He is not a ward of the state. This is a private agency
Ok, then you have lots of recourse to insist that he be moved elsewhere where they will hopefully be more attentive to his meds. He is not a ward of the state so you are still in charge.
 

kakooi

Active Member
No, Alaska has great lack of services for youth. He was denied to the one facility close to me. I am working on seeing if he can be re-evaluated for that facility, but chances are he will be denied again. There are no other options.
 

kakooi

Active Member
Also, I have recently experienced job loss and am unable to spend the finances to visit him. When he was in Utah I saw him almost every other month, but now my situation is totally different.
 

kakooi

Active Member
There is no other place for him. I just want them to do what they are supposed to do. Believe me when I say the resources in Alaska are limited compared to the need. The supervisor told me I could just come pick him up today. They would be able to immediately fill his bed. That was her response to my complaint. Also, they went and restricted my son's activities and searched his room. I feel that was retaliation. Believe me I am looking for alternative, but in the meanwhile I need to do something to get them in line.
 

xylene

Senior Member
Also, they went and restricted my son's activities and searched his room. I feel that was retaliation.
Your son was revealed to be tampering with his medication and taking it inappropriately. Anxiety medications can be abused. Any powerful medication could be abused or taken in a suicidal or para-suicidal act. Searching his room may even be punitive, but clearly necessary.
 

kakooi

Active Member
He was not caught tampering with his medication. He was put in a position where he had to be responsible for his own medication against their policy and against state regulations. It's not about the room search. Your answer doesn't address the situation.
 

kakooi

Active Member
what exactly do you want?
I want them to do better. However, if they refuse I want to sue them because my son might suffer a set back because of the lack of care and negligent medication management. I would like to set money aside for him if I need to. I probably won't sue them, but I would like to the to fix their system!
 
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