On a good day, parenting will test the integrity of your character. On a bad day, parenting will test your will to live. Parenting children with trauma histories will cause you to test the integrity of everything and everyone you thought you knew, for the rest of your life.
~J. Skrobisz

Thursday, September 30, 2010

it's THAT bad?

While we work on getting placement (which requires a PRFT from Sissy's core provider and then since she's SSI medicaid, we have to route all placement approvals through APS medicaid through the state, blah, blah, blah) we have requested weekend respites for Sissy at a therapeutic home/facility.

So I called a new provider in our area and began explaining Sissy's needs, her rages and her requirements for her safety during her rages and at night while she sleeps and the lady said, "uh... yeah. I'm not set up for that. I'm very concerned that your daughter could be hurt in my care because I'm just not prepared for that level of care..."

Which made me say HUH? HOW is it that me, an ordinary parent, is more equipped for Sissy's needs than the "trained" therapeutic professional?

And I didn't laugh (but it was hard not to) when she said, "well, I read about RADs in one of the training sessions we did."

OK, now I'm laughing. ROFLMAO! WHAT?!? She READ about it?!? And she's a "trained" and certified therapeutic respite provider!?!?

ROFLMAO BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wait, wait! *pausing to catch my breath from all the laughing* She also said, *snort* that she really only worked with ADHD kids ....

*slapping knee and howling*

Gosh, my sides hurt. Really? REALLY!?! WTH!? ADHD?!?

HOW did it get THIS bad? HOW is it that I know more than the trained, certified professionals that are supposed to know how to care for kids like Sissy? HOW is it that I will likely have to transport Sissy to a different city in my state to get weekend respite providers because there are none here and then it hit me ...

hey, I have a safe room now. Maybe I should provide therapeutic respite placement...

geez.

Is it really THAT bad with Sissy?
It must be.
But who knew? I just live this life with her every day and never really give it a thought because you do what you have to do for your kids because who the heck else will? No one, apparently.

Hope you enjoyed the laugh today, I sure did!

5 comments:

Robin said...

wow. just wow.

~Dinah said...

All that "trained" means is that they have a piece of paper that says they are "trained", right? LOL I'm sorry, this really stinks. But yeah, I did laugh, lol! :)

Kristin said...

You must be so exasperated with the system. Just pure frustration. The lack of support, knowledge, resources, everything. I'm so very sorry that the people that are supposed to be helping aren't.

QueenB said...

Um, sounds like she knows a lot more than you are giving her credit! Like, she knows she doesn't want to take care of your daughter. ********sigh************. I'm sorry. It stinks.

Happymom4 aka Hope Anne said...

Wow. This is amazing in light of a conversation I just had two days ago wtih my SW about a kid we were asked to consider taking (privately). SW said No Way--kid needs to go a theraputic foster home to learn attachment and stuff like that. (Dx of RAD). And now I'm going . . . OH DEAR! AND i ACTUALLY had the nerve to pass that info on to the desperate mother who had hoped I might be able to help her daughter?! I was feeling hopeful when I did it. . . now . . . rather sick in the pit of my stomach.