Thank you for all of this information.It is really helpful. I think this may be my best route as well. Where did he wait for the evaluation - in jail or the hospital?
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My family member waited two months in jail for an evaluation.
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How does this work? Did he go to court for something and they were like - you need a mental health eval. Iām going to send you to jail and you can wait there?
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My family member was arrested and taken to jail. At the first hearing, the defense attorney requested the evaluation. The court said it would take one month, but it took two. Sometimes it can happen that a person pays bail and waits out of jail, but itās part of the criminal court process that any attorney or judge can request.
Like, right now, your sonās lawyer could request an evaluation if they could show it has something to do with his case.
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Thank you, this is good to know. He is not in jail - he has to go to a pre-trial in April to see if there will be a trial. Once they see him, they will know there is something off. All the things Iām learning, I never thought I would.
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DianeR, will it be something they see in court do you think? I ask because they canāt see it in my son, it took him living with us for us to understand.
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They can request evaluation at the pre-trial. Itās a motion that has to be filed.
Learning this stuff is weird and every state is different, so I donāt know how much of our experience applies to yours.
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Oh yes - His eyes are dilated and he looks off for sure. There was a nurse at the arraignment (for her own son) and we were talking a bit and she mentioned his eyes.
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Who is they. I am wondering if we should mention this to his Public Defender. His Dad says heās already been evaluated because of his diagnosis. But we donāt have the paperwork due to privacy.
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Yes, any lawyer can ask. Usually the defense attorney makes a motion and the judge almost always orders the evaluation.
A person who has the dx can get numerous types evaluations over time. They often help with treatment. The evaluation ordered by the court here (requested by defense lawyer in a motion and ordered by judge who approved motion) was paid for by the state and cost time, but not money.
Defense attorneys can also motion for evaluations that are paid for privately, but Iām talking about the statutory evaluations that can be requested and ordered.
IF that made any sense, I am shocked. PM me with any more detailed questions as I am not a lawyer or anything like that and donāt want to steer you or anyone else wrong since we are all in different states.
What is the benefit of having the evaluation? Who preformed it in your state?
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Years ago when my son called 911 because he believed his neighbor was about to kill him, the police arrested my son as his unpaid car inspection tickets had resulted in a bench warrant.
I tried to post bail for my son with a credit card at the police station. The officer just looked at me.
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@DianeR, I was wondering, if you donāt mind, where are you now in all of this?
Your son is diagnosed and you believe that drugs may be the cause of his symptoms rather than a brain disorder, is that correct?
Many of us hope to get our adult children on court ordered meds by a judge offering them a choice of taking appropriate meds or going to jail. That is why a judge can ask for an evaluation, or be asked to order one. Many of our family members have not been officially diagnosed. Does your son take the meds he was prescribed?
Do feel free to pm if you prefer.
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Why was the cop looking at you? Did he think you should not have posted bail? I used a card as I thought it was $550 - it ended up being $50.
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I guess where we live bail has to be a cashierās check or bond of some sort, they didnāt take credit cards at the jail.
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No, I donāt mind. It helps me to talk/type about it. I am not sure if this is drug or a brain disorder or both. I know he smoked that synthetic MJ last fall and I know he had smoked it prior to June 2017. Iām wondering when he started as some of the sz symptoms started years ago. His big psychotic break was 1.5 years ago - this was a time when he was living with a grow room in the house and not sleeping.
Last June he started isolating and then on 2/14 and 2/28 he was very restless and the cops came on 2/28. He had a warrant and went to jail overnight. We got him out and heās isolating again. We removed the car from our home (thankfully) and he goes for a pre-trial conference on 4/20. His Dad (whom lives here but not with us) sent him a text last week saying he could get the car back when a judge said he can drive again and he has to start taking his mental health seriously. Sooo - thatās when I started explaining about LEAP. He got on board right away and watched 6 hours of Dr. Amador (!). Tonight he (father) is coming over and we have offered to talk to our son about his goals and how we can help him attain those. He likely wonāt come out of his room. I have a call in with his counselor for himself and me to see her this week under the guise of us moving to a smaller place and how we can make it work. What our goals are to live together successfully.
His father and I will discuss if we should ask the Public Defender to ask for a mental health evaluation. So thatās where we are. It is better now for my son with just me and himself at the house. He empties the dishwasher and takes out the trash, showers and does his laundry.
Do you know how/where they would do an evaluation? Weād prefer he not be stuck in jail waiting for an eval. I think he would refuse meds and go to jail.
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Department of Health and Welfare does court ordered evaluations in the state where we live. A person can be in jail or out of jail for this evaluation.
Every bit of diagnostics is helpful as it builds up a record of attempts to get treatment.
I donāt really understand what youāre on the fence about with the evaluation. If the judge let him out on bail, your son would not have the evaluation in jail, unless he breaks the conditions of his release (bail).
The only way they will incarcerate or institutionalize your son is if he is a danger to self or others, which he isnāt.
Anyway, yes, I am also confused as to why you wouldnāt use this chance to find out more about your sonās health.
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@Hereandhere I am gathering information so that his father understands what the evaluation is about as his father thinks he has already been evaluated by the psychiatrist. I have to have all the information to convince him to agree to request this OR I can just contact the Public Defender myself but I want to make sure I am not pushing him into jail to do this, hence, all the questions. Did you have to take your son to the Department of Health and Welfare? I think only if the judge said he had to go then he would go. Thank you for your help.
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I asked my friend who used to be a FtF leader if she could offer some thoughts for your meeting tonight. I hope you donāt mind. Sort of brainstorming- so to speakā¦ She did have a lot of good stuff, she always suggests to use what you feel applies.
What do you think your sonās goals will be?
What are your goals? What are dadās goals? Do you and his dad have a plan to meet beforehand to hammer out just one goal between the two of you in case he wonāt attend the meeting? She says would be best if there is just one goal overall.
Goals need to be specific - you canāt say you have to be well, you canāt say you have to get off drugs, you have to be able to specify how these things will happen - will he agree to random drug testing to show he is compliant -what will the actual steps be to get off drugs?
She said, think of it as a staircase with the goal at the top, you need to make a plan of specific steps that can work towards the goal at the top.
These medications do not cure a disease or an illness, they treat the symptoms. What difference does it make what is causing the symptoms or how they started? Maybe it doesnāt matter.
Meds are the starting point - the other things fall into place later. ---- In the words of Nick L (Peer to Peer leader)- meds are 90% of the initial recovery. Later, other things are important like socialization and work. Meds will only take you so far, but that doesnāt mean they will be eliminated later. They need relief from their symptoms in order to move forward. You have to change whatās in the brain. -----
Talking does not change the brain or address the symptoms. LEAP is a method for helping get people on meds to relieve their symptoms.
After you and dad express goals and he expresses goals - remember there can only be one goal for a chance at success. After determining a specific goal, you must determine specify steps that will be occurring. Your sonās goal is probably the goal he will most interested in: ) Use LEAP to keep him in the conversation if you can get him out of his room.
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@hope - Thank you for all this. I watched Dr. Amador again yesterday. Iām guessing the one goal will be to get his ability to drive back as then he can have his car back. Iām sure meds wonāt happen with just one meeting that is why Iām hopeful his counselor can start seeing us again. And I can educate her on LEAP. $75 for 30 minutes - but I hope weāll have more success than that psychiatrist had then simply asking my son to take his meds. I want to send him Dr. Amadorās videos. Did you do any of the LEAP trainings? Iām going to look into that. And the marathon continues.
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