Can a Residential Treatment Center Deny Treatment?

I live here in WI, and my child is in need of RTC. She's currently misdiagnosed with bipolar, and is using substance, or substance abuse. There is a RTC that will address all of her needs and get her on track to a healthy lifestyle, but they say that they don't feel their program would benefit my child. This RTC boasts, intense therapy in all aspects of their care, but they have referred me to out of state in Illinois, and MN.

The facility in MN has referred me to South Dakota to send my child. How can I actively participate in my childs recovery if she is in Illinois or South Dakota?

I have adequate insurance to cover cost of RTC, but seems like the facility don't want to take a chance on my insurance. Insurance has informed them that there is no limited bed stay, and my only cost is $250 for deductible.

I feel that my child is being discriminated against in some form or or another, and why can't she be treated in her home state? I'm having a big problem with this.

Yes, a private psychiatric (or medical) facility can deny treatment to patients whose conditions are not immediately life threatening, and refer out. Medicine (at least in the USA) is not socialized (as it is in Canada and the UK, for example), and is a privilege, rather than a "right".

Your child may or may not benefit from the particular program in question. It sounds like the facility there believes that your child would be better served elsewhere. When facilities refer out - there is an excellent reason.

Keep in mind: your child means $ to a RTC. As ugly as it sounds, that is the bottom line.

Not all RTCs will benefit all children. Hollering "discrimination" when a particular RTC does not meet your needs or when the facility that WILL meet your child's needs is inconvenient to you is not going to help your child.

"Discrimination" has not occurred just because you do not happen to live near a facility that is equipped to treat your child. Unfortunate? Sure. Discriminatory? Not by a longshot.

If your child needs residential treatment, the likelihood that you'll find a good one next door is slim. You may need to get used to the fact that this will definitely present an inconvenience and possibly considerable expense to get your child the treatment he/she needs.

I encourage you to do what needs to be done. Get on the phone with the facilities to which you were referred and see what you can do about arranging an intake.

Ask them about ways in which you can still be an active participant in your child's treatment (e.g., weekly family therapy sessions where you participate via phone). The idea of residential treatment is to REMOVE the child from his/her current environment for an extended period of time. As hard as this may be for you to swallow, YOU are part of the "current environment". Even if you lived next door to an RTC, you would only be allowed to visit (most likely) for very circumscribed periods of time. In other words, the physical location of your child's RTC makes little to no difference in the larger scheme of things.

I think that u need to go back to that center and tell them that YOU as her MOTHER thinks that she needs it and is willing to pay. It is their job to help people in need of it. If u think she was misdiagnosed and she can really use the help then fight. Threaten them with bringing the news into it and reporting it. They arent doing what they're there for so why be there? U have the money.. she needs the help. The least they can do is keep her there and watch her and evaluate. They shouldnt be sending her away. Go back and fight. Honestly, that's wrong of them. That might make her feel like she isnt good enough and noone wants her or she cant be helped.
I hope it works..
good luck

I think I would look into it more. Try not to be the mother that thinks their child does no wrong. Look at it like, do you know the whole story of whats wrong with your kid? How do you know shes misdiagnosed? Maybe if you have proof or truely believe she is, have her diagnosed by a new doc...Then take the paperwork to the place. Or maybe they don't think you should have part of her recovery. Some places want total isolation so they have complete control of the recovery process for atleast a little while.