This past fall a coalition of parents, family networks, Washington State legislative aides, educators and mental health professionals met to plan a Symposium addressing the issue of Washington State's Age of Consent Law and its barriers to parents and caregivers in accessing and engaging in treatment for adolescents 13 and older.. Discussion of this law has been ongoing for the past 10 years with no change.
Most parents raising youth 13 years and older in Washington are unaware of the restrictions, lack of options, frustrations, and fear parents and caregivers of severely emotionally, behaviorally, relationally and psychologically challenged and disturbed adolescents face. While there are some provisions for a parent initiated involuntary commitment process, many treatment providers fail to share this information with parents or in the process of meeting with the adolescent relay the message to them that as of the age 13, they are in the driver's seat for their mental and emotional health and treatment. Most of you receiving this letter have either experienced this directly, or have worked with parents of kids who have tried to find a way to help their child and protect their family, but have dismally failed at negotiating the scavenger hunt embarked upon. Isolation, fear, lack of support, and huge financial and legal responsibilities and liability are frequently the result.
On Wednesday, January 6, 2010 a Parent/Caregiver-Initiated Treatment for Minors Symposium will be held at the University of Washington in Seattle.
All you need to do to register for the event is to click on the following link www.registration and fill out the confidential symposium registration information. The site is secure so no information will be shared with anyone else. There is a link to the agenda for the symposium at the registration site, as well as survey questions at the end of the registration. The statistical results will be presented at the symposium and will be both interesting and valuable in guiding our work.
This is a crucial opportunity for those of us who have experienced this heartache to contribute and participate in a dialog around this critical issue, and to have a voice with the next steps toward bringing parents and caregivers into the treatment and healing process.
I have written many of you before on behalf of support for residential treatment programs at the federal level. Our voices made a difference there. This is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference for families following in our footsteps with their children in our own state
Thank you so very much,
Donelyn Gamble
UPC Parent Support
New Haven RTC Parent Alumni
Second Nature Wilderness Program Parent Alumni
National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs Alumni Advisory Council