The Process

image from workinghomeguide.com


Onward, ever onward, in the group home process.

Here's a little tidbit, for anyone that ever has to do this for a family member:  They don't explain the process to you.  You tell them you need to find a placement for your child/relative/whatever, and they say they will get started on the "process".  It really is a process.  But it's a secret process, because they don't explain it. Even if you say that you don't know what the process is, they are either so busy or so short-staffed that they don't have time to go step by step with you through what will happen and what to expect.

Today, in the mail, I received a manila packet of papers. Some of the papers had little sticky labels on them that said "sign here".  There were also little warnings in the paperwork about notifying people within 30 days of our preference for a service provider for Logan.

And here is my reaction to that:  How the hell should I know?  What makes one better than the other?  Is there one that's really great with autistic children who also have an IDD diagnosis?  How many complaints does this one have, if any?  How do I choose?

I didn't even know that I needed to sign this paperwork, so I didn't know it was coming in the mail. At least it came certified.

And this, my friends, is just one of the many illustrations of how the system works.  Or doesn't.

The fact of the matter is that the people who work for MHMR are probably doing the jobs of more than one person.  Funding has been cut for some MHMR programs this year, and some MHMRs (not all of them) need to beef up on their training programs.  The people who do work for MHMRs are overworked, they are underpaid, and they are trying to provide services that people in Texas desperately need.  Just to give you a better idea of what this means:  Not all the patients at MHMR have the issues my son has.  MHMRs treat people who have all manner of mental disorders.  They help adults with intellectual disabilities as well, by teaching them how to do basic at home stuff, like cooking and doing laundry.  They help people with schizophrenia get medication.  They help veterans who suffer from PTSD.  They help anyone who qualifies for the program get the treatment and medication they need to function.  It's a much-needed service in our state that never gets the funding it needs to be as successful as it could be.

Now it's after 6, dear readers, and I have to go show a house.  And yes, I promise, I will get out of the heat before something bad happens.