Penelope is suppose to have court on June 16th - which is Wednesday. This past Thursday, the 10th, I called her Probation Officer to find out when Penelope is suppose to have her new Competincy Evaluation since she has been going to the Restoration Classes on Saturdays. She kinda hem-hawed at first and said that the Psychology Dept at the Youth Center (nice name for the juvy jail) takes care of that. I told her that I hadn't heard anything and I didn't know if she did that, since she was the one to schedule the first Competincy Evaluation. She continued to hem-haw and then said that she had put in a request to have it scheduled and receive a report before the 16th. She is off tomorrow (Friday) but would put in a call to them to follow up for me. I also talked about how my brother, "the victims' parents," hadn't yet received a call from the prosecutor's office which I thought the judge had instructed them to do - as an effort to resolve this quickly. She said she'd talk to them and remind them as well. She asked me how the classes were going. I said that I've heard that they are going fine, it's the aftermath that it's difficult. I told her that Penelope didn't get to go to her last day of school and has been having a really difficult time functioning from all of it. "If we are here to help her, then we need to get this resolved so she can move on and start to heal." She agreed and reiterated what she was going to do. She was also going to call me on Monday (today - didn't happen).
Friday, a woman from the Psychology Dept at the Youth Center (Jail) called me to let me know that the earliest they could schedule the Compentincy Evaluation isn't until a week after Penelope's court date and that it should be okay though because her Probation Officer can request to have the hearing continued. But Penelope will have to continue to come to the Restoration Classes until the Evaulation Date. This just pissed me off. Someone dropped the ball. Was I suppose to call and prompt someone? I did in a way, almost a week in advance. Not good enough. I started to get emotional - because that's just what I do these days. I explained to her that she may think this is all good and not a big deal but we live day to day right now. These classes and the whole court process has her mental health issues on overdrive and this is just going to be like throwing fuel on the fire. She talked about the Dr. submitting to the court a "treatment plan" which I still don't get. From what I think I got out of her, it means if Penelope needs more classes or not because I asked if it meant anything to do with her mental disorders and she said no. I would hope not. During his last eval, he deemed her of low intelligence and that's not the case. He doesn't know the first thing about what's going on with her other than the diagnosis and meds list.
But at any rate, I asked if we still had to go to court on Wednesday and she said that the Probation Officer would find out and let me know on Monday.. you know. Today. I'm not going to hear from here. She's already gone for the day. So I have to find out tomorrow at the latest or we will have to go and see if we have to be there.
2 comments:
This whole thing sucks, and it doesn't sound like the workers have their act together. Honestly I think you guys should go to court on Wednesday even if they tell you you don't have to - unless you get it in writing on official letterhead. The last thing you all need is for the judge to consider you no shows.
I was able to get it in writing that we don't have to go. Penelope doesn't even know about it so that's good at least. I just want this over for her. We started the new therapy today. We didn't start the EMDR part as she wants to make sure Penelope is ready for it. Right now her and I have some homework - which is good. I will write a post later about it. But our appointment this morning just reminded how far we still have to go and how much has happened to her and her crime is directly related to that. She is a good kid who is living was significant mental illness. Punish my brother for letting his kids alone with her. Punish me for letting him take care of her when I knew he felt I was too hovering and controlling. Punish her parents for their neglect and abuse. She is the last person who should be punished for this. She shouldn't have to continue to suffer.
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