When he turned nine, Michael’s family was ready to give up on him. He had problems controlling his frustration and anger ever since he was a toddler. Although his single mom had found help for him from a number of mental health professionals, his problems worsened as he grew. Even though he was very smart, he attended a day treatment program instead of a community school because of his issues. His outbursts were almost daily and severe enough that he would injure himself and damage things in the house. Not knowing where else to turn, his mom often brought him to the hospital. During one six-month span, he was in the emergency room 20 times. Michael always apologized afterwards, but was helpless to control his behavior. He was scared, confused and had no self-esteem. His mom struggled to get a clear answer and treatment plan from psychiatrists, counselors, physicians and teachers with a range of opinions. His prescribed medications seemed to have little effect. The strain of his daily care, coupled with the stress of her full-time job and caring for two other children, made her seriously consider out-of-home placement for Michael in a residential facility. At the time, it seemed like the only way.
A referral to a case manager in the Villa’s Intensive Case Management (ICM) program turned out to be a pivotal step to improving the situation for Michael and his mom. First the case manager took time to become a close, accessible and trusted resource for Michael and his mom. That meant seeing Michael in every setting to get a complete picture of his strengths and challenges. The case manager also became the "point person" to call first in times of crisis, and would immediately help defuse the situation or advocate for Michael with medical personnel if emergency attention was needed.
Communicating with every person involved with Michael’s care was critical to improving the continuity of his care. This holistic approach made it easier to isolate factors that led to Michael’s outbursts and more effectively manage his mental health diagnosis. In Michael’s case, a chemical imbalance called bipolar disorder was found to be the most likely cause of his erratic behavior. Medication changes and a more coordinated approach from his doctors, teachers and mom, brought gradual but definite improvement. The burden of singularly managing Michael’s care was lifted from his mother, who also received desperately needed respite care through ICM as well as referrals to support groups and other assistance to ease stress in the home. Within a year, Michael had improved so much that he was able to re-enter a community school, even participating in the school band.
Today both Michael and his mom have a trusted person to turn to during the ups and downs of his care, even as he continues toward his teenage years. Finally, they are able to enjoy being a family again.
Angela's Story...
