The dog sitter

I was called to the emergency room last night to evaluate an 11 year old boy who was there due to "out of control" behavior. When I arrived, one of the hospital's clinicians was standing outside talking to a security guard. As she walked with me into the hospital, she explained that mom "flipped out" on her coworker and stormed out of the ER cursing and yelling. She wasn't sure exactly what happened but was concerned that the situation could become "volatile." The other clinician explained that mom was telling her how Johnny was initiated into a gang last Saturday by being severely beaten. The following day, mom allowed him to go to the store alone and he was beaten again. The clinician was asking mom if she thought it was appropriate for Johnny to be allowed to be unsupervised after he was just hurt the day before. I guess mom took offense to the questions, and showed her short fuse. So, when Johnny indicated that he was afraid to go home, we had some genuine concerns that his fears were legitimate. But, why might he be punished and why was in the ER?
Johnny and his 7 year old brother were home alone after school and got bored. They decided to play with the dog. They put nail polish on him, dressed him up, and ....stuck a tampon in his anus. When mom returned home, she apparently got mad and Johnny locked himself in the bathroom. He then threw a temper tantrum, breaking the towel rack and punched his hand through the window. That's when mom called 911 and he was transported to the hospital for an evaluation. Though his behaviors were very concerning, he was not suicidal or homicidal and unfortunately I can't hospitalize him for endangering animals. A report was made with social services however, and though the caseworker felt it was safe for Johnny to go home with mom, the other clinicians and myself have our doubts. Somehow I don't think that is the last time I hear about little Johnny.

Disclaimer

I hope it goes without saying, but just in case: All identifying information has been changed to protect the privacy of the client.

Intro

Hi, my name is Beth and I've decided to start a blog dedicated to my professional life. When I was in college at the University of Florida, we were required to do some volunteer work for one of my classes. I signed up to work at the local homeless shelter and liked it so much that I continued to volunteer there long after my required hours had been met. After getting my degree in English (I have no idea why-I think I heard it was an easy course of study), I decided to go to Grad School and was so happy to discover that there was actually a profession where I could get paid to help others. I wouldn't be paid much, but alas, I had discovered my future career.
I received my MSW from Florida State in 2002, all the while working full-time for the Department of Children and Families where I took child abuse reports. After graduation, I moved to Colorado with my new husband and got a job working at a residential treatment center for severely abused and neglected children whom had been removed from the home. This was the most difficult yet rewarding work I've ever done. Unfortunately, I had to quit after a little youngster kicked me in the stomach while I was pregnant. Yes, she did it on purpose. One day I hope to work with this population again, but not while my own children are so young. I just feel so passionately about this population that I am unable to "leave work at work" and it would negatively impact my personal life.
I then got a job with a local organization where I helped them open a homeless shelter for severely mentally ill women. I loved this job but was unable to use my clinical skills as the organization was/is not certifed in the field. So, I got a position at our local mental health center where I've been for close to 5 years. For the majority of those years, I worked out of a medical clinic providing mental health treatment to homeless adults. For the past 2 years I've also worked for our off-hours Emergency Services Team where I respond to the emergency rooms and assess both children and adults for suicidal/homocidal/grave disability criteria and put them on a 72 hour hold if necessary.
After my recent maternity leave, I transferred to the Emergency Services Team during the day as well. Needless to say, I come across some very interesting people and I always find their stories fascinating. It is my hope and intention that through this blog, I can share a little glimpse into the lives of those suffering from mental illness and perhaps even break a few barriers and stigmas of those afflicted by the disease.