We had another mental health arrest yesterday, followed by hours in the emergency psych department waiting for them to do nothing. Here's what happened as I have pieced it together. Marcus's former therapist has been working as his one-to-one aide while they hire and train a new one. This is an amazing service Joe is doing for Marcus given he's a social worker. Unfortunately, any replacement to Joe will not be Joe and the person they have hired has become a target for Marcus. He doesn't like him (read - he's not Joe). Marcus has known Joe for many years and feels safe with him. The new person is new and doesn't know Marcus and what he needs to feel safe.
Yesterday, Marcus started off the day agitated. I think it was because it was Halloween and he wanted to go trick or treating to get candy. But he focused his agitation on the new one-to-one and became increasingly threatening. Remember that at 14, Marcus is 6'2" and, given they don't know him well at the new school, this size can be scary. There was a "sub" counselor who hadn't worked with Marcus before although she had met him. At some point, Marcus broke a CD cover into shards and pointed them at himself and others while threatening to cut out kidneys. This became "homicidal behavior" and thus warranted the police call. I knew he was just talk and asked that they let me come get him, but it became an unstoppable policy and we ended up in the emergency psych ward. Of course, Marcus was completely calm and the ED docs did nothing. Eight hours wasted. We made it home in time for Halloween although I did not allow him to go trick or treating. I did say he could hand out candy in his costume. He got all set up on the porch, ready to scare kids as they came up. Not a single person came to our house. I couldn't believe it. It was heartbreaking to see him on the porch like that.
We met this morning with the "team" and it seemed like we were going to start right where we left off: he hates the new aide and wants him gone. Apparently Marcus's strategy was to act out horribly enough for the school to fire the new aide. We assured him that he would be the one gone, not the aide. I was just about to lose hope when Marcus blinked - he would agree to work with the new person if he could have a soda at the end of every day (he really is a young 14!). Wow a space for compromise. Then he was able to talk about how much Joe gets him and how he doesn't want him to leave. It was really sweet. Of course, the road will still be rough but there was a small space there. We'll have to see what happens when the new one-to-one comes back from his few days of training.
Yesterday, Marcus started off the day agitated. I think it was because it was Halloween and he wanted to go trick or treating to get candy. But he focused his agitation on the new one-to-one and became increasingly threatening. Remember that at 14, Marcus is 6'2" and, given they don't know him well at the new school, this size can be scary. There was a "sub" counselor who hadn't worked with Marcus before although she had met him. At some point, Marcus broke a CD cover into shards and pointed them at himself and others while threatening to cut out kidneys. This became "homicidal behavior" and thus warranted the police call. I knew he was just talk and asked that they let me come get him, but it became an unstoppable policy and we ended up in the emergency psych ward. Of course, Marcus was completely calm and the ED docs did nothing. Eight hours wasted. We made it home in time for Halloween although I did not allow him to go trick or treating. I did say he could hand out candy in his costume. He got all set up on the porch, ready to scare kids as they came up. Not a single person came to our house. I couldn't believe it. It was heartbreaking to see him on the porch like that.
We met this morning with the "team" and it seemed like we were going to start right where we left off: he hates the new aide and wants him gone. Apparently Marcus's strategy was to act out horribly enough for the school to fire the new aide. We assured him that he would be the one gone, not the aide. I was just about to lose hope when Marcus blinked - he would agree to work with the new person if he could have a soda at the end of every day (he really is a young 14!). Wow a space for compromise. Then he was able to talk about how much Joe gets him and how he doesn't want him to leave. It was really sweet. Of course, the road will still be rough but there was a small space there. We'll have to see what happens when the new one-to-one comes back from his few days of training.
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