We live in Indpls, In-we have a 15 yr. old daughter,diagnois with
Bi-polar,OCD, Major Depressive Disorder, Oppostional defiant Disorder,
and Dysthymic Disorder, she has become very violent in our home,
destroying walls, doors etc.-we have 2 other daughters, she has been
in  and out of short term facilities, 5 times for help, and an 8 month
long term stay(State Hospital)-where can we find Residential placement
for her, everyone tells us unless she is on the Juvenile side of the
justice system, we have no chance, they basically tell us she needs to
draw blood on one of our family members, before they will do anything.
Where do we go for Residential placement so that we can feel safe in
our own home.She is now in the hospital again, but we are afraid for
our lives if she comes back home. Who can help us? Desperately seeking
help!

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Request for Question Clarification by missy-ga on 01 May 2002 19:26 PDT

norene,

My heartfelt sympathies to you and your family.  It's very difficult
when a loved one is suffering so.

Finding a residential treatment center for a juvenile can be a tricky
task.  Must the placement be in Indianapolis?  If not, within how many
miles of Indianapolis must the placement be?  I have a few contacts in
the health care professions that may have some suggestions.

Hi there,

I wanted to say that I emapthize with your situation...its must be
extremely difficult to have such a close family member with such a
range of severe illnesses. The search for facilities has been
restricted to within Indiana.

Our search returned the following results:

Triple L Youth Center:
"The focus of our treatment program is to help youth and families
overcome struggles in their life and get on the road to independence. 
Many of the youth come from broken homes, abusive backgrounds, have
been in trouble with the law, neglected, struggle with mental illness
or chemical dependency, and in some cases, have no family to go home
to."

http://www.familyconnectioninc.org/triplel/
3538 Mounds Road
Anderson, IN 46017
(765) 641-1148 
fax (765) 641-1175


Children's Bureau of Indianapolis - Retreat:

The bureau oversees several residential programs, though it seems that
the one that best suits your needs is "Retreat".

"Retreat is a locked secure residential program for 12 co-ed youth
ages 6 to 21. Youth accepted have a history of multiple unsuccessful
placements and require a locked treatment environment to stabilize
their at-risk behaviors. Services include a specialized behavior
modification milieu, individual, group and family therapy, psychiatric
support and assessment, permanency planning and comprehensive
treatment plans. This program is tailored for the youth who need a
locked environment to address runaway, drug use, aggression, self harm
and other at-risk behaviors. The program offers an on-grounds school
program to meet their educational needs."

You can gain more information on this at:
http://www.childrensbureau.org/resserv.htm

Or you can contact the Children's Bureau directly:
Phone: 317.264.2700 
Fax: 317.264.2714

615 North Alabama Street, Room 426
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Email: cbinfo@childrensbureau.org

Here is a list of organizations running residential treatment programs
for teens (borken down by category):
http://www.strugglingteens.com/lr/Indiana/Treatment/Residential_Treatment/index.html

Here is a list of organizations running specific treatment programs:
http://www.strugglingteens.com/lr/Indiana/Specific_Treatment_Programs/index.html

As you can see, there are a few options that need to be weeded
through, but in summary there are not very many facilities such as the
one you are looking for within Indiana.

Feel free to post a clarification if there is anything further..
Hope this was helpful, and good luck :)

answerguru

While I don't have an answer at the moment for residential placement
in Indianapolis, this is a link to some useful information and ways to
combat it and perhaps thwart it:
http://www.klis.com/chandler/pamphlet/oddcd/oddcdpamphlet.htm

My thoughts go out to you and your family.

This site has a helpful attitude http://www.strugglingteens.com/
And this page yielded three possibilities in Indiana:
http://www.strugglingteens.com/lr/Indiana/Treatment/Residential_Treatment/index.html

 (Bloomington)	
 BHC Meadows Hospital	(812) 331-8000

 
 (Elizabethtown)	
 A Fresh Start Home	812-579-5574

 
 (Kours)	
 Midwest Center for Youth and Families	(888) 629-3471

good luck and hang in there.

Norene,

I have worked in the mental health field for a long time. I can
appreciate how difficult it is to get the "system" to move on behalf
of your child. From the brief history you have provided, it sounds as
if you could use an advocate to help you obtain long-term treatment
for your daughter and support for you and your family. I would
encourage you to contact NAMI, the National Alliance for the Mentally
Ill. You can learn more about the Indiana chapter, including contact
information, by visiting this web page:

http://www.namiindiana.org/who_we_are.htm

This organization appears to have a support group for parents in your
area, and you can learn more about it by visiting this web page:

http://www.namiindiana.org/indianapolis_bulletin_board.htm

NAMI should be able to put you in touch with other parents who have
been through similar situations. Those parents may have valuable
suggestions and resources for you.

Another resource available to you is the Mental Health Association in
Marion County. You can find out about their services at this web page:

http://www.mcmha.org/services.html

Their contact information is:

Mental Health Association in Marion County
2506 Willowbrook Parkway, Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46205-1542
Phone (317) 251-0005

If your daughter is still hospitalized, I would suggest that you have
a meeting with her psychiatrist and if possible, her entire treatment
team. In that meeting you can emphasize your fears and inquire about
aftercare options. I encourage you to stay in close contact with the
social worker or discharge planner. Ask the social worker to give you
EVERY alternative available for treatment after discharge from the
hospital. Ask about placement options and intensive programs such as
partial hospitalization.

If you believe that your daughter will be discharged into a setting
(such as your home) that is dangerous for her or for others (you and
your family) then ask to speak with the hospital's patient advocate.
This is someone who is a go-between when patients and families
disagree with medical staff about a patient's plan of care.

Best wishes and please remember that you are not alone :) 

fsw