DS: After Care provisions unmet/on my knees

[Masie24]

DH and I are at the end of our tethers. Oldest DS, diagnosis schizophrenia and its flat affects, goes missing often, has lost any accommodation he had with the Council claming that he's made himself intentionally homeless. He's under S117 of the MHA (After Care) but neither the Local Authority or Health Trust have discharged their duties under this section.

He left hospital 9 months ago. There was no discharge planning. The first assessment he had was a couple of weeks ago, only after we asked and asked for it. He's been deemed to be in need of supported housing but we're now told that before any referrals are made, he'll need further assessments.

We are broke. We have several jobs between us, other children, and can barely cope with the strain. We've tried everything. Even now we're thinking of legal support even though that would cost us money we don't have.

DS may be back in our home patch soon after going off unexpectedly, many miles away. We'll have to find him, yet again, accommodation and of course give him money for food and clothes (he discards his clothes as he goes) but the truth is that we have only pounds left in our acccount right now. DS cannot be at home, yet, because of the very difficult behavior he exhited when he was at home - his siblings were deeply impacted.

I don't know what to do. I want to disappear, hibernate for a few weeks, but I have to be able to go to work in the day and a few times in the evenings. I have obligations. But I'm worn out, on sleeping pills, and very fearful. DS is also physically very weak. 3 stone underweight and suffering from a bad skin condition.

And yet the Trust will not scoop him up and identify somewhere supportive and safe. When we say that without doubt he'd die where he to be back on the streets, they give, frankly, a metaphorical shrug.

I have this yearning to re-visit places associated with a past when DS was well or before I became a mother. Maybe then the present would disappear.

I've posted here before and have been so grateful for support. Sadly, things haven't improved. At a loss.

Hi @Masie24

The Trust likely will not scoop him up and identify somewhere supportive and safe in part because resources are sufficiently constrained that many organisations are unable to meet their statutory obligations RE S117 aftercare.

Here are some suggestions, with apologies if you have exhausted all of these.

(1) Firstly to seek more support for yourself, whether this means your GP, counselling for you, additional support from family or friends. Sometimes practical support (someone to fill the freezer with batch cooking or do the school run for you) can be straightforward for others to give and can help a lot. Others can be at a loss in situations like this, even if they want to help. Severe MH problems can be scary and isolating for the families of sufferers.

(2) Email the CEO of the MH Trust responsible for your son's care, copying in the clinical director of the Trust and outlining your concerns including that you are believe that they are failing in their legal responsibilities and that you believe that your son will die. One option is to lodge an official complaint, in which case I would recommend going via an independent advocate rather than PALS. Carers' support groups locally can help with this.

(2) Does your son have a care coordinator with whom you are able to discuss your concerns? See if you can keep dialogue going with them if at all possible.

(3) Is substance misuse an issue? Sometimes (bizarrely) this is an additional barrier to accessing support.

(4) Contacting directly homelessness charities to ask advice/signposting.

(5) Lastly whilst I cannot predict the outcome for your son, I know of complete recovery from what seems like the most unlikely of predicaments and do not give up hope for families in situations like yours. It sounds cheesy to say "recovery is possible" I think but I have know some breathtaking narratives of resilience. Hang in there.

Take care of yourself and keep posting here if it helps.

((hugs))

Erin

Sorry that should say "...that you believe that your son will die if he the care he receives or lack thereof continues as it is..." apologies for insensitive wording, that was not my intention.