I made a connection with a young client yesterday. He came to our agency because he was in crisis. . .making threats to hurt both himself and others. He was handcuffed as I entered the room, and he was very guarded in his talking at first. As we found common ground, and talked as I have talked with hundreds of youth, he began to share about his life. Won't get into details, but suffice it to say. . .he was carrying a lot of depression and anger. As it became apparent that he needed to go to hospital for his safety, members of my team began the preparations in finding an adolescent bed, consulting with his family. etc. However, he did not want to go, and had to be "TDO'd". A TDO is necessary sometimes for the safety of the individual and community, and is always followed by a legal hearing within 72 hours to determine if the TDO is to continue. It can be traumatic for everyone involved. In this case, the client's mother agreed that her son needed to go to the hospital. She had been afraid for him for some time.
I have never been TDO'd. . .always going willingly to hospital when it was necessary. But if I was in danger of hurting myself or others and couldn't think straight, I would want to have someone step in and protect me from myself. This is very conteraversal in the recovery community, and I fall someplace in the middle of the continum of opinions.
When it was time for him to be transported to the hospital, he had to be further restrained by shackles.(according to code and procedure in my state and locality) I have seen kids in shackles lots of times during my tenure as a juvenilie probation officer. And I know of cases where unrestrained people have escaped from cars and have gone running across the interstate. . .further endangering themselves and others. It really is a safety issue.
I understand all of that. But this felt different for some reason. My counselor said that my therapeutic boundaries were probably blurred. He is probably right. After saying goodbye to the kid, and encouraging him to give the hospital staff a chance (a very good hospital, by the way), I still went to the men's room, closed myself in a stall, and cried for a few minutes.

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