Is there anyone who could help me out (maybe a social worker?)

If you had an adult who was biopolar & was completely off his meds, who cannot make decisions for his own well-being, but is under a doctor's care, no family around to help.

I'm not a psychiatrist but it sounds like the person in question should probably be in inpatient care. The person switched doctors again (and I'm not sure he was in his right mind to do that).

To answer a few questions that may come up:

-It is not in New York State.
-There is a wife involved but she has abandoned him & left the country.He cannot understand the impact of basics like earning money. He keeps saying his wife will be home in a few days, which is not the case.
- I'm not related to the person & cannot get too personally involved with it but can direct others to help the person in need.

Is there a way of getting the State involved? What department would it be (DOH?)

is there a way of assigning someone to advocate for this person?

Re: Is there anyone who could help me out (maybe a social worker?)

In new york they call it adult protective services. There's not much they can do to force a person to take meds but if they can find a good reason to hospitlize someone, they can. They can also handle their money, help them apply for ssi/ssd (if they're too sick to work) and pay their bills. They try to get family involved as much as possible, which can either be helpful or just perpetuate the problems.

Message edited 11/20/2011 1:03:32 PM.

Re: Is there anyone who could help me out (maybe a social worker?)

You can also try contacting a mobile crisis unit.

APS too like PP mentioned.


I have had clients that went the APS route and it can take months and months but eventually they became guardian.

ETA: We recently took a client on that while the ex lives out of state and doesn't want to be personally involved with the person, has agreed to stay on as the financial rep payee from "afar" pay the client's bills, and will keep contact with the client's Service Coordinator.

Sometimes if they know they don't really need to have direct contact, an ex/family member can be persuaded, especially if they are a good person and are looking out for the best interest of the client.

As PP mentioned though, some family it's best that they are out of the picture for good.

Someone can also sign on as Power of Attorney/Health Care Proxy to help in making decisions regarding medical care.

I have someone coming into the community this week, that while they don't have a legal guardian, have someone in these other two roles and we plan to use them as we already see issues building with the client and their decision making.

Message edited 11/20/2011 1:11:56 PM.

Re: Is there anyone who could help me out (maybe a social worker?)

Re: Is there anyone who could help me out (maybe a social worker?)

Re: Is there anyone who could help me out (maybe a social worker?)

It's California - which is usually proactive when it comes to individuals but maybe with the state strapped for financial resources, it's not working.

I'll suggest APS.

Thank you!

Re: Is there anyone who could help me out (maybe a social worker?)

If you go the mobile crisis unit route, they really need to be at risk (or you need to really play up this factor) and APS cannot already be involved (or no other human service/health care agencies) or they will not take the case.

I have run into this numerous times, especially with Nassau County.

Re: Is there anyone who could help me out (maybe a social worker?)

Re: Is there anyone who could help me out (maybe a social worker?)

I would like to say that you would get help if you call APS but you will probably hit the wall. I called them for several clients and they were completely USELESS. The worker told me that she had a client who someone referred to her that was schizophrenic and eating her own poop on a daily basis. APS could do nothing to intervene cause "eating your poop is not against the law." As for the mobile crisis unit, I am not crazy about them either. They will go, access the situation and then call the police if warranted, to take the person to a local mental health hospital. Truth be told, no one including the state can tell a person what to do, unless that person has been deemed incompetant. I have been trying to get one of my clients deemed imcompetant for over a year now. He is a schizophrenic amputee who is wheel chair bound, has daily blood sugar levels of 800, been in the hospital multiple times because of this, does not take any of his meds, threatens to kill everyone and has clear cut plans on how he will commit multiple acts of homicide, eats out of the trash can, and has been kicked out of almost all of suffolk county emergency houses because he is deemed a threat to other people there. He was sent to a hospital and was found to be lighting firecrackers next to their oxygen tanks. We threatened to take action against APS for doing nothing and they eventually got him admitted to CPEP, he got there and bit the security officer and drew blood, ripped a radiator out of the wall, and threw soda cans at the staff. They eventually released him and found him to be "completely competant" The entire mental health system stinks.