Texas State Comptroller puts out scalding report on Texas Care System

[Guest guest]

This is a big report but I will copy some of the findings pertinent to this

group. I can't help but say this report is damning. Thank god schools can no

longer recommend drugging children in Texas. If the parent refused this is where

the children go. We might just get some change for these kids. I challenge other

states to do the same audit and reform. Jim

http://www.window.state.tx.us/forgottenchildren/ <---the whole report

http://www.window.state.tx.us/forgottenchildren/ch05/s0502.html <---the part I

have copies is from the medications report here.

Texas' foster children in all service levels receive psychotropic drugs-that is,

drugs that affect the mind through action on the central nervous system-for

depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),

seizures and a variety of other conditions. Any caregiver, from foster families

to residential treatment centers, may obtain these medications from the

physicians treating their children.

DPRS exercises little meaningful oversight over these medications.

Many observers, including physicians, children's advocates and foster parents,

have expressed concern over the types and amounts of psychotropic medications

prescribed to foster children. Respondents to a recent Comptroller survey

regarding foster children concurred. Among their comments:

I adopted a child that had been 80 pounds overweight because the system felt

it was easier to overmedicate him than...to work with him on his issues.

Our foster sons were completely misdiagnosed in foster care and unnecessarily

medicated. Kids are medicated for higher-level ratings (more money for agency &

parent) instead of assisting foster parents in making these kids good citizens.

Children were given astronomical amounts of medication. Diagnoses were altered

to accommodate hallucination which may have been induced by overmedication.

Many foster children have psychological problems and are being treated with an

array of medications to manage their symptoms. But even fundamentally normal

children who have been taken from their homes and families can become aggressive

and " emotionally reactive " due to a lost sense of trust and their conditions are

only worsened by multiple placements and frequent caseworker turnover. As their

feelings of instability increase, their emotions may erupt, and their caretakers

then are, in the words of one child psychiatrist, " just chasing an untreatable

problem with more medication. " 1

Jim - Norman

" Never look at the trombones, it only encourages them. "

Strauss

[Guest guest]

This is a big report but I will copy some of the findings pertinent to this

group. I can't help but say this report is damning. Thank god schools can no

longer recommend drugging children in Texas. If the parent refused this is where

the children go. We might just get some change for these kids. I challenge other

states to do the same audit and reform. Jim

http://www.window.state.tx.us/forgottenchildren/ <---the whole report

http://www.window.state.tx.us/forgottenchildren/ch05/s0502.html <---the part I

have copies is from the medications report here.

Texas' foster children in all service levels receive psychotropic drugs-that is,

drugs that affect the mind through action on the central nervous system-for

depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),

seizures and a variety of other conditions. Any caregiver, from foster families

to residential treatment centers, may obtain these medications from the

physicians treating their children.

DPRS exercises little meaningful oversight over these medications.

Many observers, including physicians, children's advocates and foster parents,

have expressed concern over the types and amounts of psychotropic medications

prescribed to foster children. Respondents to a recent Comptroller survey

regarding foster children concurred. Among their comments:

I adopted a child that had been 80 pounds overweight because the system felt

it was easier to overmedicate him than...to work with him on his issues.

Our foster sons were completely misdiagnosed in foster care and unnecessarily

medicated. Kids are medicated for higher-level ratings (more money for agency &

parent) instead of assisting foster parents in making these kids good citizens.

Children were given astronomical amounts of medication. Diagnoses were altered

to accommodate hallucination which may have been induced by overmedication.

Many foster children have psychological problems and are being treated with an

array of medications to manage their symptoms. But even fundamentally normal

children who have been taken from their homes and families can become aggressive

and " emotionally reactive " due to a lost sense of trust and their conditions are

only worsened by multiple placements and frequent caseworker turnover. As their

feelings of instability increase, their emotions may erupt, and their caretakers

then are, in the words of one child psychiatrist, " just chasing an untreatable

problem with more medication. " 1

Jim - Norman

" Never look at the trombones, it only encourages them. "

Strauss

[Guest guest]

This is a big report but I will copy some of the findings pertinent to this

group. I can't help but say this report is damning. Thank god schools can no

longer recommend drugging children in Texas. If the parent refused this is where

the children go. We might just get some change for these kids. I challenge other

states to do the same audit and reform. Jim

http://www.window.state.tx.us/forgottenchildren/ <---the whole report

http://www.window.state.tx.us/forgottenchildren/ch05/s0502.html <---the part I

have copies is from the medications report here.

Texas' foster children in all service levels receive psychotropic drugs-that is,

drugs that affect the mind through action on the central nervous system-for

depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),

seizures and a variety of other conditions. Any caregiver, from foster families

to residential treatment centers, may obtain these medications from the

physicians treating their children.

DPRS exercises little meaningful oversight over these medications.

Many observers, including physicians, children's advocates and foster parents,

have expressed concern over the types and amounts of psychotropic medications

prescribed to foster children. Respondents to a recent Comptroller survey

regarding foster children concurred. Among their comments:

I adopted a child that had been 80 pounds overweight because the system felt

it was easier to overmedicate him than...to work with him on his issues.

Our foster sons were completely misdiagnosed in foster care and unnecessarily

medicated. Kids are medicated for higher-level ratings (more money for agency &

parent) instead of assisting foster parents in making these kids good citizens.

Children were given astronomical amounts of medication. Diagnoses were altered

to accommodate hallucination which may have been induced by overmedication.

Many foster children have psychological problems and are being treated with an

array of medications to manage their symptoms. But even fundamentally normal

children who have been taken from their homes and families can become aggressive

and " emotionally reactive " due to a lost sense of trust and their conditions are

only worsened by multiple placements and frequent caseworker turnover. As their

feelings of instability increase, their emotions may erupt, and their caretakers

then are, in the words of one child psychiatrist, " just chasing an untreatable

problem with more medication. " 1

Jim - Norman

" Never look at the trombones, it only encourages them. "

Strauss

[Guest guest]

This is a big report but I will copy some of the findings pertinent to this

group. I can't help but say this report is damning. Thank god schools can no

longer recommend drugging children in Texas. If the parent refused this is where

the children go. We might just get some change for these kids. I challenge other

states to do the same audit and reform. Jim

http://www.window.state.tx.us/forgottenchildren/ <---the whole report

http://www.window.state.tx.us/forgottenchildren/ch05/s0502.html <---the part I

have copies is from the medications report here.

Texas' foster children in all service levels receive psychotropic drugs-that is,

drugs that affect the mind through action on the central nervous system-for

depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),

seizures and a variety of other conditions. Any caregiver, from foster families

to residential treatment centers, may obtain these medications from the

physicians treating their children.

DPRS exercises little meaningful oversight over these medications.

Many observers, including physicians, children's advocates and foster parents,

have expressed concern over the types and amounts of psychotropic medications

prescribed to foster children. Respondents to a recent Comptroller survey

regarding foster children concurred. Among their comments:

I adopted a child that had been 80 pounds overweight because the system felt

it was easier to overmedicate him than...to work with him on his issues.

Our foster sons were completely misdiagnosed in foster care and unnecessarily

medicated. Kids are medicated for higher-level ratings (more money for agency &

parent) instead of assisting foster parents in making these kids good citizens.

Children were given astronomical amounts of medication. Diagnoses were altered

to accommodate hallucination which may have been induced by overmedication.

Many foster children have psychological problems and are being treated with an

array of medications to manage their symptoms. But even fundamentally normal

children who have been taken from their homes and families can become aggressive

and " emotionally reactive " due to a lost sense of trust and their conditions are

only worsened by multiple placements and frequent caseworker turnover. As their

feelings of instability increase, their emotions may erupt, and their caretakers

then are, in the words of one child psychiatrist, " just chasing an untreatable

problem with more medication. " 1

Jim - Norman

" Never look at the trombones, it only encourages them. "

Strauss