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Howdy again...posting about my nephew this time
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<blockquote data-quote="slsh" data-source="post: 392844" data-attributes="member: 8"><p>Hi Julie - good to see you and so glad to hear your son is doing so well (fingers crossed against the board jinx, LOL).</p><p></p><p>thank you was in a similar boat at 18. Higher IQ, but drug use really dumbed him down. The problem we ran into was even if we had had him declared incompetent (and that wasn't a sure thing because he also presents really well), we could not force him into a safe living environment. We would get the call when/if he fell apart, was arrested or hospitalized, but in terms of day-to-day stuff, guardianship wouldn't do a darn thing for him, or for us to help him. All of the mental health agencies for adults are voluntary, meaning the adult has to be compliant and receptive to help. thank you was hooked up with an adult agency, got an apartment in a building that catered to adults with- various disabilities... but because he was so utterly noncompliant, he got dropped from everyone's books. He has the right to refuse help, the agencies have the right to drop him, and it would have happened even if we had been his guardians. Just because he needs help and supervision (obviously), it's not going to happen unless he cooperates. Even if we had guardianship, we couldn't force the issue. It's been a truly ugly couple of years now. He's shown signs in the last month or so of possibly making some better choices, but.... it's just so hard to watch them struggle and be taken advantage of and really dig such deep holes, knowing that help might be available if they'd just cooperate a *smidge*.</p><p></p><p>I'm sure it varies by state, but here in IL, in order to receive services, or rather in order to be put on the list to potentially receive services at some later date (I'm not holding my breath) as an adult with a developmental disability, IQ must be below 70. Mental Health services are strictly on a voluntary basis (unless danger to self or others). So it sounds like your nephew is in a no-man's land, or would be here anyway.</p><p></p><p>Still.... I would check with- dept of mental health and developmental disabilities. You never know when you are going to run into someone who's got a good list of resources. I'd also check with- Voc. Rehab (or whatever it's called in his state) for job training and job support. Voc Rehab might actually be the best place to start.</p><p></p><p>A kid that thank you had been in Residential Treatment Center (RTC) and TLP with, had known for years, was much more compliant or at least put on a good show for the adult agencies. He's currently living independently in an apartment, on SSI, and the adult MH agency helps with budgeting as well as medications and doctor appointments. Someone checks in with- him a couple times a week just to make sure everything is going okay. He and thank you are pretty similar in terms of abilities and connection with- the real world, with the exception being the kid's ability to comply and cooperate, while thank you would rather shoot himself in the foot. Just my experience, but that seems to be the key to getting adult mental health services - cooperation and compliance. No one is going to force him to take medications, or get a job, or do what he is supposed to be doing. They will guide and offer assistance, but at the end of the day, it's still up to the individual. There are a whole lot of people who want help - I can't blame agencies for dropping the people who don't want it.</p><p></p><p>It's really backwards and oxymoronic - has never made any sense to me to allow a severely mentally ill person to decide whether or not they need help. Duh. We spent a horrible year (at least) debating the whole guardianship thing, but what it boiled down to is that if we couldn't protect thank you from making his usual awful choices, couldn't advocate for a safe *supervised* living situation unless he cooperated, there was absolutely no point in seeking guardianship once he hit 18. Cooperation has never been thank you's strong suit, LOL. </p><p></p><p>My heart goes out to your family. It's a bear of a situation.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="slsh, post: 392844, member: 8"] Hi Julie - good to see you and so glad to hear your son is doing so well (fingers crossed against the board jinx, LOL). thank you was in a similar boat at 18. Higher IQ, but drug use really dumbed him down. The problem we ran into was even if we had had him declared incompetent (and that wasn't a sure thing because he also presents really well), we could not force him into a safe living environment. We would get the call when/if he fell apart, was arrested or hospitalized, but in terms of day-to-day stuff, guardianship wouldn't do a darn thing for him, or for us to help him. All of the mental health agencies for adults are voluntary, meaning the adult has to be compliant and receptive to help. thank you was hooked up with an adult agency, got an apartment in a building that catered to adults with- various disabilities... but because he was so utterly noncompliant, he got dropped from everyone's books. He has the right to refuse help, the agencies have the right to drop him, and it would have happened even if we had been his guardians. Just because he needs help and supervision (obviously), it's not going to happen unless he cooperates. Even if we had guardianship, we couldn't force the issue. It's been a truly ugly couple of years now. He's shown signs in the last month or so of possibly making some better choices, but.... it's just so hard to watch them struggle and be taken advantage of and really dig such deep holes, knowing that help might be available if they'd just cooperate a *smidge*. I'm sure it varies by state, but here in IL, in order to receive services, or rather in order to be put on the list to potentially receive services at some later date (I'm not holding my breath) as an adult with a developmental disability, IQ must be below 70. Mental Health services are strictly on a voluntary basis (unless danger to self or others). So it sounds like your nephew is in a no-man's land, or would be here anyway. Still.... I would check with- dept of mental health and developmental disabilities. You never know when you are going to run into someone who's got a good list of resources. I'd also check with- Voc. Rehab (or whatever it's called in his state) for job training and job support. Voc Rehab might actually be the best place to start. A kid that thank you had been in Residential Treatment Center (RTC) and TLP with, had known for years, was much more compliant or at least put on a good show for the adult agencies. He's currently living independently in an apartment, on SSI, and the adult MH agency helps with budgeting as well as medications and doctor appointments. Someone checks in with- him a couple times a week just to make sure everything is going okay. He and thank you are pretty similar in terms of abilities and connection with- the real world, with the exception being the kid's ability to comply and cooperate, while thank you would rather shoot himself in the foot. Just my experience, but that seems to be the key to getting adult mental health services - cooperation and compliance. No one is going to force him to take medications, or get a job, or do what he is supposed to be doing. They will guide and offer assistance, but at the end of the day, it's still up to the individual. There are a whole lot of people who want help - I can't blame agencies for dropping the people who don't want it. It's really backwards and oxymoronic - has never made any sense to me to allow a severely mentally ill person to decide whether or not they need help. Duh. We spent a horrible year (at least) debating the whole guardianship thing, but what it boiled down to is that if we couldn't protect thank you from making his usual awful choices, couldn't advocate for a safe *supervised* living situation unless he cooperated, there was absolutely no point in seeking guardianship once he hit 18. Cooperation has never been thank you's strong suit, LOL. My heart goes out to your family. It's a bear of a situation. [/QUOTE]
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Howdy again...posting about my nephew this time
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