I seek only a child therapist, psych, or psychiatrist who will call me back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry you couldn't get the Answers you wanted. But other than one pp, the answers have been trying to give good advice. Pretty much everyone agrees she needs help and not a locked ward. Anyways unless your child is saying repeatedly that she has a set plan for killing herself or someone else, lOcking someone in a psych ward isn't done.

So there seem to be a couple issues at play. 1. The current issue of her being very upset and 2. Her having some emotional/sensory issues. The best place to start is your own ped. They won't just willy nilly give your kid meds if you don't want them. From the sounds of it it may be more of a "no one likes me! I get picked on. I wish I'd never been born. I should just die" and other comments like this? Not "normal" per se but a common way for a kid that age to deal with those feelings. That's Quite different from "I'm so stupid. I shouldn't be alive. I'm going to take this knife and stab myself". That's a bit more serious (although still nowhere near entering psych ward territory).

It sounds as though a referral to a developmental pediatrician would also serve your daughter quite well. This forum is a wealth of information on Those doctors.

I know it's frustrating to feel like you are up against the wall. But going to the pediatrician and saying "I've called the people you recommended and no one Has called back. She really needs to see someone ASAP because she's miserable. Can you please do anything to help get her in to see someone?" Don't be combative. JUst be honest and say you've hit a dead end and you don't know what to try anymore because you feel like you can't get in to see anyone to at least start to get answers.

+1000. Great advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry you couldn't get the Answers you wanted. But other than one pp, the answers have been trying to give good advice. Pretty much everyone agrees she needs help and not a locked ward. Anyways unless your child is saying repeatedly that she has a set plan for killing herself or someone else, lOcking someone in a psych ward isn't done.

So there seem to be a couple issues at play. 1. The current issue of her being very upset and 2. Her having some emotional/sensory issues. The best place to start is your own ped. They won't just willy nilly give your kid meds if you don't want them. From the sounds of it it may be more of a "no one likes me! I get picked on. I wish I'd never been born. I should just die" and other comments like this? Not "normal" per se but a common way for a kid that age to deal with those feelings. That's Quite different from "I'm so stupid. I shouldn't be alive. I'm going to take this knife and stab myself". That's a bit more serious (although still nowhere near entering psych ward territory).

It sounds as though a referral to a developmental pediatrician would also serve your daughter quite well. This forum is a wealth of information on Those doctors.

I know it's frustrating to feel like you are up against the wall. But going to the pediatrician and saying "I've called the people you recommended and no one Has called back. She really needs to see someone ASAP because she's miserable. Can you please do anything to help get her in to see someone?" Don't be combative. JUst be honest and say you've hit a dead end and you don't know what to try anymore because you feel like you can't get in to see anyone to at least start to get answers.

+1 There is a HUGE undersupply of pediatric psychological/psychiatric support in this country, and it's acute in this area, unfortunately. Press your pediatrician, even if you don't feel you know him/her well, for help navigating this process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry you couldn't get the Answers you wanted. But other than one pp, the answers have been trying to give good advice. Pretty much everyone agrees she needs help and not a locked ward. Anyways unless your child is saying repeatedly that she has a set plan for killing herself or someone else, lOcking someone in a psych ward isn't done.

So there seem to be a couple issues at play. 1. The current issue of her being very upset and 2. Her having some emotional/sensory issues. The best place to start is your own ped. They won't just willy nilly give your kid meds if you don't want them. From the sounds of it it may be more of a "no one likes me! I get picked on. I wish I'd never been born. I should just die" and other comments like this? Not "normal" per se but a common way for a kid that age to deal with those feelings. That's Quite different from "I'm so stupid. I shouldn't be alive. I'm going to take this knife and stab myself". That's a bit more serious (although still nowhere near entering psych ward territory).

It sounds as though a referral to a developmental pediatrician would also serve your daughter quite well. This forum is a wealth of information on Those doctors.

I know it's frustrating to feel like you are up against the wall. But going to the pediatrician and saying "I've called the people you recommended and no one Has called back. She really needs to see someone ASAP because she's miserable. Can you please do anything to help get her in to see someone?" Don't be combative. JUst be honest and say you've hit a dead end and you don't know what to try anymore because you feel like you can't get in to see anyone to at least start to get answers.

+1 There is a HUGE undersupply of pediatric psychological/psychiatric support in this country, and it's acute in this area, unfortunately. Press your pediatrician, even if you don't feel you know him/her well, for help navigating this process.

Yes! It's SO freaking frustrating. I think I would still be trying to get into see someone if my son's dev. ped. hadn't picked up the phone and called someone he knew and asked him to do a favor. I feel like there is a fairly good amount of trauma/loss/"regular" child therapists. But the ones available for kids with more extreme anxieties and sensitives seem to be few and far between.

[Anonymous]

OP, I feel for you and I'm sorry your child is going through this. Please don't feel discouraged by this board.

Most of the pediatricians in this area have a list of psychiatrists they work with and they may be able to just copy it for you and you could go down the list and call until you find someone who can give you an appointment soon.

You could also try some of the bigger practices in the area like Potomac Psychiatry or Ross. They may have more flexibility because they have so many people on staff and may be able to fit you in quickly.

[Anonymous]

You have been given very good advice. Try listening to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child's school, had also just tossed the ball back to us, so to speak. They said that since there is no academic need, they don't need to do an evaluation. They said they didn't want to brand my child as having "emotional problems." I am still not sure what that means. But forgive me, while I'm hitting my head against brick walls, it would be nice to have some advice on how to navigate this.

You need to insist that the school do a psychoeducational evaluation bc your DD clearly has issues that have an "educational impact". The standard for getting an IEP and services is "educational impact" not just academics and grades. Your school is dropping the ball and not following the law, IDEA, with their insisting that your DD does not need an evaluation bc all that is doing is keeping your DD from getting the services and supports she is legally entitled to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child's school, had also just tossed the ball back to us, so to speak. They said that since there is no academic need, they don't need to do an evaluation. They said they didn't want to brand my child as having "emotional problems." I am still not sure what that means. But forgive me, while I'm hitting my head against brick walls, it would be nice to have some advice on how to navigate this.

You need to insist that the school do a psychoeducational evaluation bc your DD clearly has issues that have an "educational impact". The standard for getting an IEP and services is "educational impact" not just academics and grades. Your school is dropping the ball and not following the law, IDEA, with their insisting that your DD does not need an evaluation bc all that is doing is keeping your DD from getting the services and supports she is legally entitled to.

Agreed. Have you talked to them about the bullying that's going on as well?

[Anonymous]

Part of this is the area. At one point we got a list of 10 people from Children's and exactly 0 were taking new patients.

[Anonymous]

OP, you are in Silver Spring?

Did you try the outpatient behavioral therapy office at Kennedy Krieger?

http://www.kennedykrieger.org/patient-care/patient-care-programs/outpatient-programs/behavioral-psychology-outpatient-programs

My child sees a psychologist and psychiatrist at Child and Family Counseling in Fairfax, that is pretty far away from you but they have always been very responsive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Part of this is the area. At one point we got a list of 10 people from Children's and exactly 0 were taking new patients.

+1000. And they don't even call you back. We have called some child psychiatrists that have a "not taking new patients" message on their voicemail. (Usually these are the ones listed as in our insurance network). We gave up on finding any child psychologist or child psychiatrist who would take insurance years ago. It is disgusting.

[Anonymous]

People wait in ER rooms for many days trying to get psychiatric beds for their children.

I agree that in-patient sounds like overkill in this situation, but maybe its worth the $150 ER copayment to try to get a fast-track referral to a good clinician who can help you outpatient.

[Anonymous]

^^^We did this a few years ago when our child desperately needed help. They did not admit him, but they stabilized him with some anti-anxiety medication (Prozac) and they made us a follow-up appointment with a psychiatrist and psychologist associated with the hospital.

[Anonymous]

I had a similar experience last fall trying to find an MD to prescribe meds for my DD, who was severely depressed. She had a therapist but that person couldn't prescribe. Four practices I called either wouldn't see her because they wanted to do the therapy, too, or the wait for an appointment was weeks. In one case, the callback came after about ten days. It was definitely upsetting that no one seemed to care! I agree that there is a shortage of psych professionals for kids in this area. I did what another PP suggested and went back to the therapist to press for more names. She thought of someone else, called her, and that person saw us quickly. Good luck and hugs, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a similar experience last fall trying to find an MD to prescribe meds for my DD, who was severely depressed. She had a therapist but that person couldn't prescribe. Four practices I called either wouldn't see her because they wanted to do the therapy, too, or the wait for an appointment was weeks. In one case, the callback came after about ten days. It was definitely upsetting that no one seemed to care! I agree that there is a shortage of psych professionals for kids in this area. I did what another PP suggested and went back to the therapist to press for more names. She thought of someone else, called her, and that person saw us quickly. Good luck and hugs, OP.

Oh, yeah, this is another classic we have heard. You know why? Say you are paying out of pocket, which you almost always are b/c none of these doctors seem to take insurance. The psych visits are maybe once every two or three months to just check on the meds, once you are established on something. But therapy is $200/week every week and continues seemingly indefinitely. Of course they want to hold you hostage for both when they know you are desperate.

[Anonymous]

Call or email the Capital Region Children's Center. The number is [phone]; their website is www.dccrcc.com.

They do home-based family and individual therapy.