Drs have all agreed that we need to move my BP son out of Louisiana...but where do we go?
I apologize if this is the wrong place to post this but I don't post on here very often. After 5 hospitalizations and 6 med changes in the last 8 months, all of my child's drs have come to an agreement that he needs long term treatment. But Louisiana doesn't provide us with that option. My son gets medicaid, tricare, and ssi but i have heard that medicaid does not pay for out of state treatment. We are prepared to move to another state where he can get the help he needs but have no idea wher to go! My husband is Air force and will require a base nearby but does anyone know of a good treatment center (longterm with aftercare) that they recommend? we are open to anywhere but since we are new at this...i don't know anything about processes or places available for a 6 yr old child. (my son is in SPED already so it will hel the school process along)
any help is appreciative. thank you
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~ Naomi ~
ME-29 yrs old. dx with PTSD, Anxiety, Depression.
DH- 27 yrs old. he's the one that takes care of us!
DS-6 yrs old. dx with BP I, ADHD, CD, ODD, PTSD, Anxiety, Asthma, SID, IED and the list seems to go on...currently onRisperdol 1 mg two times daily, Adderall 10 mg in morning and 5 mg in afternoon, Clonidine 0.1mg two times daily and Melatonin
DS-4 yrs old. dx with PDD, ADHD, SID, Severe Anxiety and Asthma. currently on ritalin, Buspar and Melatonin
Haved you looked at Meridell in TX? I'm pretty sure they take Tricare, as I've known other military kids who went there. I don't know that you would have to move in order to send her to an RTC out of state.
You may want to request to join the RTC Support Group on this site. There's a lot of people there with plenty of experience in this area. Here's a link to the TBMF page on RTC and education.
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Brenda,51, TBMF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 17, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Lamictal, Cytomel, Allegra
E, 15 1/2, BP,AS: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol, Buspar
B, 14 & H, 11
Married 18 years to DH, 50
FROM TBMF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.
Personally, I'd start from the insurance angle and work backwards from there. Our son is at Meridell now, north of Austin in Liberty Hill, TX. The first thing they will ask you is about insurance since it cost over $400 a day to stay there. Typical stays are around 2 months.
The closest military base is Ft. Hood, but they are Army. I think San Antonio has the nearest Air Force base.
From my impression, they are very good at Meridell in determining the correct medications. They do this through testing and then factor in all the other components of the situation. They also have a charter school there certified through the University of Texas. All the patients there expected to keep up with their classwork and credits can then be transferred to another school when they are released.
I would recommend Meridell as long as you are realistic about your expectations. The staff is friendly, the campus nice, good cafeteria, gym, etc. To me, it's just a starting point to where the medications begin to get dialed in while staying in a friendly environment. Then you'll need to make some decisions about long term care elsewhere.
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Son diagnosed schizo affective
What about "adults" who need the same help?? Our daughter is now 21, but does not function like an adult. But chronological age dictates much wrong treatment - such as her having all the say and refusing the help needed. Guess it is just a reality of life in the world with mental illness.
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Pilgrim, dd 21 , BP, PDD, PTSD; FASD, different meds being trialed.
I tried to get ds in Meridell but they labeled him as a perpetrator since he gets hypersexual when manic but not in the category of molesting others. I don't know your story but if your son has that issue, I would not tell it if I had a do-over. Meridell is one hospital/residential I have heard is wonderful otherwise.
Best Wishes,
Kathy
DS 7, DX: BP1-Mixed w/psychotic episodes
Current Meds: Lamictal 200 mg, Lithobid 900 mg, Risperdal 3.5 mg, Tenex 1/2 mg, Time Release Melatonin
Co-mod Very Young w/Laura, Ginny, Amber and Angi
Co-mod Adoption w/Chrisa
Co-mod Support 12 w/Heather
“The school’s #1 priority is educating my son. MY #1 priority is keeping him alive. My #1 priority is more important than theirs.”
" Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of it's sorrows, but only empties today of it's strengths."
Pilgrim, I so agree. It has been frustrating a lot since she turned 18 in April. I still feel I must advocate. I am currently advocating to get her into the Seasons dual dx program in Sarasota, Fl. I have adovacatied to keep her out of crimcal justice system and that sadly is where most of the fucning comes from. My daughter funcitons anywhere bwtween age 11 t some days mid teens. What we did and continue to do is reward her for signing the papers which she did last Sat. She is ver unstable and not clean and sober and will end up incarnated in the crimal justice system becasue her behavior is currently that dangeous. So I adocate, my manta is ill not bad. Nami helps me a lot. I sitll get my voice and I get to be an advocate. I am glad I became her payee for SSI-D before she turned 18. She is very ill and we provide the financial baqcking so we have a say. I put it on her. She can refuse but the rewards I am willing to provide are for treatment compliance (meds, substance abuse and mental health treatment)
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Sallie, mom to Cara, age 18 BP1, BPD traits, substance abuser ,does not live at home;
Abilify,30, topamax 100, Lexapro 10
We live in North Carolina, we have a wonderful facility by the name of Alexander Youth Network and they are wonderful with younger kids, my son is 6 and they truly love him. Would highly recommend them and the pdoc there is phenomenal, my son has been there 6 mos and we are seeing many improvements with him not being aggressive and using coping skills, he still has major mood swings and they are working on that but he hasn't been physically aggressive towards us in 3 months even when he has a mood that used to send him into injuring me or his dad.
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Suzi depression
dh - Shawn
dd - Tarryn 9 years old
ds - Eli 6 years old-- Sensory processing disorder, Bi-polar n.o.s., mood disorder n.o.s., separation anxiety disorder on Seroquel 100 mg at bedtime and Neurontin 100 mg twice a day (started on 1/1/12)
in PRTF at Alexander Youth Network since 7/11/11
Charlotte, NC