Turn And Face The Strain

In the middle of my job change, we’re also dealing with having to throw Tim’s world into a tizzy. The residential treatment facility he’s called home for the past two plus years doesn’t have room for him in their 18 and over group home, and he turns 18 this July. He’s in a good place in his life right now. He’s more stable than he’s ever been. He has a part time job, school, sports, and staff that he’s bonded with. It irritates me that an arbitrary date will make what is a great placement for him unavailable. As good as he’s doing, this change will, very possibly, derail the hard work he’s done to learn to cope with his symptoms.

When Tim was home for a 10-day visit over Spring Break, we sat as a family and discussed what to do when July comes around. We have a few options. We can find another RTC that has a program comparable to the one he’s in now, but accepts residents over 18. Or, Tim could come home to stay, and we could find services for him in our community, and rely on the school district for vocational services. Both are plausible options, but have different implications for our family.  I was surprised to hear Tim’s thoughts. He isn’t sure he is ready to come home. He spoke, very rationally, about how far he’s come in the past 6-8 months, and enjoying learning to be independent. So we are looking for both – researching community based services, and touring residential programs.  Next week we decide. Either way, even though we will make a decision we are all happy about, it’s going to be a rough summer.

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