Parents never want to “put away” their children; but sometimes their situation is so precarious and their health and wellness so compromised, safety can no longer be guaranteed. In the last decade, Mark and I have had to hospitalize two of our children many times. It was never easy, always heart-breaking, gut-wrenching. But it had to be done. We literally feared for their lives.

When this is the case, inpatient treatment may be the only plausible course of action. Unfortunately, many of us are called upon to make these life-and-death decisions; and until now, very few resources were available to assist in the decision-making process. That has changed. For those facing this difficult task, NAMI recently released A Resource for Families Considering Residential Treatment Programs for Their Children. Here are some excerpts from that valuable document:

Steps To Take When Considering Inpatient Treatment

• Take your time. Resist pressure to make an immediate decision. Residential treatment should not be used in place of local emergency resources in the event that your child is in immediate danger. Beware of programs that push you to “act now” to prevent serious harm.
• Seek an objective, professional opinion before committing to a program.
• Ask about pre-admission assessments and admission criteria to determine whether your child qualifies.
• Request an individualized plan for your child that details the therapies, interventions, and supports that will address your child’s specific needs as well as the transition from treatment back to community-based care.
• If possible, visit the residential program and take a tour of the facilities before making a decision.
• Interview staff members.
• Talk to young people currently in the program.
• Talk to past students and their families.
• Verify the program’s licensing and accreditation claims.
• Verify the credentials of the clinical director and staff.
• Check with the board of education in the state where the program operates to be sure that the educational program is licensed in that state.
• Contact the state education board in your state to verify that academic credits will transfer.
• Obtain copies of publicly available information about the residential program, including complaints or actions filed against the residential program, site visit evaluations, violations, and corrective actions.
• Ask about the program’s philosophy on medications. Programs should neither over-medicate to sedate or have an anti-medication philosophy, especially if your child is currently relying on medications to cope with their diagnosed disorder.

Additional Questions To Ask

• Which staff members will be working with your child and what is the experience that qualifies them?
• What are the program’s disciplinary policies and procedures?
• How will the program respond to specific behaviors exhibited by your child?
• How much written and verbal contact do they allow between caregivers and their child?
• Do caregivers have open access to the facility?
• How does the program define and measure outcomes and success?
• What academic curriculum does the program use?
• What is the ratio of students to teachers?
• Does the program offer classroom learning or independent study?
• Are academics ongoing or only offered when the young person reaches a certain point in the recovery process?
• Have there been any reports of unsanitary or unsafe living conditions, nutritionally compromised diets, exposure to extreme environmental conditions or extreme physical exertion, inadequate staff supervision, medical neglect, physical or sexual abuse of youth, or any violations of youth or family rights?
• What relationship exists between the residential program and agencies or individuals that have referred the family to the program?
• What is the average length of stay for youth in the program?
• How does the program prepare youth to return to their home and community?
• Does the program provide necessary referrals or connections for after release from the program, including assisted housing, supported employment, vocational rehabilitation, life skills training, and others?

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 at 8:58 am and is filed under Addiction, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Family, Mental Health, Parenting, Suicide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.