Residential DBT - health system nightmare

[Zipora74]

My 13 year old daughter is currently in her 9th in-patient hospital acute care stay. We recognize she needs DBT but can’t keep her safe, stable in between intensive outpatient therapy to actually benefit from DBT. A trigger occurs and she is back in acute hospitalization. In the past 14 months she has had a consistent care team for CBT. Diagnosed with depression, anxiety, impulsivity, ADHD, adjustment disorder, suicidal ideation. 5 ingestion attempts, self harm and a new plan of jumping to death. In between hospital stays our safety plan includes co-sleeping with our legs tied together. Yes I have a husband and 3 other teenagers! The system is messed up. We should have heard about DBT sooner. Now her diagnosis is BPD, and the recommendation is residential DBT. But either there are no beds available or they don’t accept private insurance. By the way they are releasing her tomorrow but won’t accept her in their partial program. Because they can’t handle the level of care she needs. BUT they expect me to put her back in public school-her biggest trigger. So she will release as we wait for the right residential DBT and we will return to acute hospital care within 48 hours. In addition to all these diagnosis, I deal with constant medication changes. They basically prescribe a drug for every symptom. Who can function in 5 meds related to mental illness? No one! A social worker recommended I release custody to the state to get Medicaid... .because so many places don’t accept private insurance. Even though the state covers medical and Rx cost, t I am looking at a 30k OOP! Feeling cheated by the system.

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

[Harri]

Hi Zipora.  I am so sorry to hear how difficult the system is making things and how you are struggling with insurance coverage and acceptance.  It is tragic when kids can't get the help they so desperately need because of red tape and rules.

Is your daughter now home?  What happens if she does not go to school?

I hope you return and post more. 

[Zipora74]

She was released from acute care 11/16 and unfortunately went back to the hospital 11/21/18. It was a horrific episode of self-harm with suicidal thoughts and the first time I had to watch her forcefully get sedated. She was approved for residential DBT program and we are waiting for a bed. 1-2 weeks.
I anticipate the hospital releasing her this week. She is not stable to go to public school. At this point she has lost an entire semester. I hope once in residential she can get caught up on some schoolwork and assume she will have to attend summer school.

[Harri]

Hi and thanks for the update though I am so sorry your daughter had another episode of self harm.  It sounds like it was pretty serious.  How difficult it must have been to watch her go through that.

How do you feel about her getting out this week?  Will she be staying with you until she can get in the DBT program?