Disappointed in the assessment

[unicorn2014]

My daughter did cooperate with me and go to her mental health assessment this morning but I was not satisfied with the assessment. The counselor did not think she needed psychiatric services and referred her to a substance abuse intervention and treatment program. I don't think that is my daughter's only problem, I think she has the traits of a personality disorder in her psyche. My daughter lies, that showed up in her IEP at age 7 and nothing has changed. For example last night she obtained my permission to go out for a walk for one hour and then she came home over two hours later and this morning I saw she had covered up a hickey on her neck with makeup. However something is better then nothing so I need to try and have an optimistic attitude. In the meantime, I'm going to start working through some of the books on my shelf: from borderline adolescent to borderline adult, parenting your out of control teenager, when I say no I feel guilty, I don't have to make every all better, and the power of validation.

I wish I could afford to take my daughter to a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist but right now I can't.

Something is better then nothing.

Our objective is to better understand the struggles our child faces and to learn the skills to improve our relationship and provide a supportive environment and also improve on our own emotional responses, attitudes and effectiveness as a family leaders

[Kwamina]

The positive thing is that your daughter did cooperate and got her assessment today. You are disappointed with the outcome, a lot has been going on lately and I see you had certain thoughts of your own about what was underlying your daughter's behavior.

She is still very young and time will tell how she will develop. She is getting help for some of her problems and that will hopefully lead to some improvements. How does your daughter feel about the assessment and the outcome? How does she feel about the referral to a substance abuse intervention and treatment program?

We cannot diagnose people here, but what I can say is that also people who don't have a personality disorder are capable of telling lies. You know this too of course, I realize that. What sets people with BPD apart is often the frequency and intensity of their dysfunctional or problematic behaviors. Do you feel like your daughter's lies or more frequent and extreme than those of 'average non-disordered' teenagers?  I already know of the running away to another city which is indeed extreme, yet doesn't necessarily have to indicate (traits of) a personality disorder. Are there perhaps also other problematic behaviors of your daughter that you consider to be more frequent and intense or extreme than in 'average non-disordered' teenagers?

[lbjnltx]

Looking at this as step 1... .being drug free is necessary for any other treatment to be affective.  Can you get her on a wait list for therapy?

[unicorn2014]

She is still very young and time will tell how she will develop. She is getting help for some of her problems and that will hopefully lead to some improvements. How does your daughter feel about the assessment and the outcome? How does she feel about the referral to a substance abuse intervention and treatment program?

We will see if she participates. Today we talked with an associate social worker/certified alcohol and drug addiction counselor. I think my daughter also has mental health problems in addition to substance abuse problems, but at least I got my foot in the door.

We cannot diagnose people here, but what I can say is that also people who don't have a personality disorder are capable of telling lies. You know this too of course, I realize that. What sets people with BPD apart is often the frequency and intensity of their dysfunctional or problematic behaviors. Do you feel like your daughter's lies or more frequent and extreme than those of 'average non-disordered' teenagers?  I already know of the running away to another city which is indeed extreme, yet doesn't necessarily have to indicate (traits of) a personality disorder. Are there perhaps also other problematic behaviors of your daughter that you consider to be more frequent and intense or extreme than in 'average non-disordered' teenagers?

My daughter has been lying since she was a young child. I think rather then speak for myself I will share some snippets from her IEP in 2007, this is from the BASC-2.

Examples of critical items and other items from the BASC-2 that were endorsed by d7's teachers included the following: "sometimes bullies others" "sometimes hits other children" "often teases others" "often annoys others on purpose" "sometimes seeks revenge on others" "often is fearful" "often worries" "sometimes defies teachers" "often deceives others" "sometimes lies" "often cheats in school"

Some of the critical items endorsed by Ms. Unicorn, d7's mother, included "often bullies others" "almost always argues with parents" "sometimes hits other children" "often argues when denied own way" "often seeks revenge on others" "sometimes is cruel to others" "often is fearful" "often breaks the rules" "sometimes sneaks around" "sometimes lies" "sometimes steals" "sometimes deceives others" "sometimes lies to get out of trouble"

There is more but we are just looking at the lying right now.

That was when she was 7.

She is 15 now.

Outside of school counseling and a couple of sessions with an intern at a private nonprofit that is all the therapy she has gotten, and not for lack of effort on my part.

Her teachers said she often deceives others, which is more then what I said. I said she only sometimes deceives others.

I am hoping that her guidance counselor will order another IEP for her.

[unicorn2014]

Looking at this as step 1... .being drug free is necessary for any other treatment to be affective.  Can you get her on a wait list for therapy?

I agree. This is going to be her therapy which is why I said I was concerned as this ASW/CADC does not seem to think my d15 has mental health problems. I am hoping that she works with a higher level professional for her actual therapy.

I will make another post when I hear back from the ASW as to who my d15 will be working with.

[lbjnltx]

Does your health insurance cover outpatient family therapy?

[unicorn2014]

Does your health insurance cover outpatient family therapy?

My d15 will not talk as much when I'm in the room, so at this point in time I'm happy that she has been referred to substance abuse intervention and treatment for youth program. We tried a couple of family therapy sessions together with an intern (one of my DBT therapists) and that didn't go too well. My d15 and I are both intuitive so we communicate without words, just by looking at each other, and our mutual intensity seemed to make her therapist ill at ease, who was a male. I think my d15 will do better with a female provider, the ASW today was a female.

[lbjnltx]

It doesn't have to be "family" it can be therapy just for her... .if your insurance covers mental health (which I think it will by law).  Can she attend drug counseling at the same time as private therapy?

Excuse me if I misunderstand, I thought you were unhappy that she wasn't getting mental health treatment.

[unicorn2014]

It doesn't have to be "family" it can be therapy just for her... .if your insurance covers mental health (which I think it will by law).  Can she attend drug counseling at the same time as private therapy?

Excuse me if I misunderstand, I thought you were unhappy that she wasn't getting mental health treatment.

I was unhappy that the ASW thought that all she needed was substance intervention and treatment however I'm going to keep an open mind and hope that she will encounter a more highly educated professional at the next step. I had taken her to an MFT intern who was my DBT teacher but she was unwilling to work with him so he dropped her. That was very disappointing. I am happy that she came to this assessment today. I'm trying to look on the bright side. I'm also waiting to hear from her guidance counselor as to whether or not he will do another IEP for her. Her last one was when she was 7.

Basically I can not afford to pay for a licensed psychologist or a psychiatrist out of pocket so I have to take what I can get.

[lbjnltx]

From your answer I deduce that you do not have private insurance coverage.

I hope that the IEP review comes through for you.

You can read some tips and rights about IEP's in Lesson 5 to the right----->

Hope something in there helps your daughter get the accommodations she needs.

lbj

[unicorn2014]

From your answer I deduce that you do not have private insurance coverage.

I hope that the IEP review comes through for you.

You can read some tips and rights about IEP's in Lesson 5 to the right----->

Hope something in there helps your daughter get the accommodations she needs.

lbj

Thank you, your deduction is correct. I had requested a second IEP for her in 2012 but that was denied by the school district. She is in a new school district now and her guidance counselor did ask me for a copy of her psychoeducational assessment from 2007 so I hope something comes of that. It was actually the counselor she worked with in kindergarten that referred me to the services we accessed today.

My ex husband has a problem with substance abuse and mental illness himself and is not in treatment , hence the insurance  situation I am in.

Our objective is to better understand the struggles our child faces and to learn the skills to improve our relationship and provide a supportive environment and also improve on our own emotional responses, attitudes and effectiveness as a family leaders

[lbjnltx]

I'm no insurance specialist (unless loathing the whole insurance industry with a special passion counts  ) but it seems to me... .if your ex is responsible for paying for your d's health coverage and doesn't then she would qualify for Medicaid.  If your ex is not responsible and you are on a limited income as a single parent then obamacare would cover the majority of your premiums.

Worth a shot right?

[unicorn2014]

I'm no insurance specialist (unless loathing the whole insurance industry with a special passion counts  ) but it seems to me... .if your ex is responsible for paying for your d's health coverage and doesn't then she would qualify for Medicaid.  If your ex is not responsible and you are on a limited income as a single parent then obamacare would cover the majority of your premiums.

Worth a shot right?

She is on state medical insurance and has been since we were married. He has never had medical insurance.

----

I read through the posts on IEPs. Here is something from the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale from her 2007 IEP:

However scales that approached significance according to Ms. X and Y were Cognitive Problems/Inattention (d7  may be likely to be inattentive, have organizational problems, have difficulty completing tasks, have concentration problems) and DSM-IV: Inattentive (high scores indicate an above average correspondence with the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for Inattentive type ADHD).

My daughter was not clinical in 2007.

The summary and recommendations stated in 2007

While she does not meet state and federal criteria for Emotional Disturbance presently, D7's mother and school personnel have clear concerns about her social and emotional well-being.

I do not think she has a specific learning disability.

It is possible that her behavior since  2013 (the principal calling me because she was an accomplice to a robbery, getting cited for shoplifting, getting cited for running away, the sheriff calling me because she was smoking marijuana in public) are substance abuse related or its possible that she has an emotional disturbance. I'm leaning more towards the second because of her past history, however I am happy that her substance abuse problem is going to be addressed. If she straightens out after treatment then I will know that was all it was. Unfortunately I don't think that's all it is. I hope her high school reevaluates her for an emotional disturbance.

These seem to be the services that will be available to her at this point

a State certified general outpatient adolescent substance abuse facility and ... .two full-time Drug and Alcohol Counselors ... .provide brief intervention and substance abuse treatment. Services include individual, family, and group counseling, case management and participation in pro-social activities

I will start a new post when I know more about her treatment plan.