>> Jason: LOCAL LAWMAKER IS FURIOUS AND WONDERING HOW THE
GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH
AUTISM IS BEING TREATED IN OUR
STATE.
STATE. >> I DREAD TO DEAL WITH THE
ISSUE AS THE BUBBLE GETS BIGGER.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITHOUT A
FACILITY?
FACILITY? >> Jason: A LOCAL MOM SHARES HER
STORY ONLY TO THE "DEFENDERS."
>> I WAS LEFT ALONE TO HANDLE IT
BECAUSE THERE WAS NO HELP.
>> Jason: SHE IS SHARING HER
FAMILY’S STORY BECAUSE SHE NOT
ONLY NEEDS HELP BUT BELIEVES
THERE ARE MANY FAMILIES WITH
CHILDREN OF AUTISM GOING THROUGH
THE EXACT SAME THING.
>> Karen: HER DAUGHTER JACKIE IS
SEVERELY AUTISTIC.
SEVERELY AUTISTIC. AND NOW THAT SHE IS 20 YEARS
OLD, THE STATE OF MICHIGAN HAS
ABANDONED THEM.
ABANDONED THEM. >> SHE WAS OUR FIRST CHILD.
>> Karen: EVERYTHING SEEMED
NORMAL, THAT IS, UNTIL SHE
TURNED 2.
TURNED 2. >> SHE SAID SOME WORDS BUT THEN
STOPPED SAYING WORDS.
>> Karen: AS SHE GOT OLDER, SHE
NEEDED MORE HELP.
HER CHILD BECAME BIGGER AND SHE
NEEDED MORE HELP.
>> SHE WOULD FALL ON THE GROUND
UNTIL HE KNEES BECAME BRUISED
AND BLEEDING BECAUSE SHE WAS
ALMOST CRAVING THE INPUT.
>> Karen: THEY SENT HER TO
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. >> SHE WAS HAVING SEVERE UPSETS
AND BLEEDING AND LACERATIONS.
>> Karen: STATE WORKERS WERE NOT
ABLE TO CAD CAUGHTLY CONTROL
JACKIE.
JACKIE. >> IT TAKES EXPERIENCED PEOPLE.
AND IT’S VERY SCARY FOR SOMEONE
TO WALK IN AND SEE THESE KIND OF
BEHAVIORS.
BEHAVIORS. I WAS LEFT ALONE TO HANDLE IT
BECAUSE THERE WAS NO HELP.
>> Karen: TIME PASSED AND NOW
JACKIE IS 20 YEARS OLD AND SHE
SAID THE STATE IS FAILING HER
AGAIN.
AGAIN. >> IT’S THE ONES THAT REACH THIS
POINT OF SEVERITY THAT THERE’S A
HUGE LACK OF ANY KIND OF
SERVICES.
SERVICES. >> Karen: SHE CONTINUED TO TRY
TO CARE FOR HER DAUGHTER BUT IT
WAS CHALLENGING.
WAS CHALLENGING. >> DRIVING, I ENDED UP GETTING A
CAGE BEHIND THE FRONT SEAT OF
OUR CAR BECAUSE IF SHE BECAME
UPSET, SHE WOULD GO AFTER ME
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY.
AT LEAST THIS ALLOWED ME ENOUGH
TIME TO PULL OVER UNTIL SHE
COULD CALM DOWN.
WHEN YOU REACH THIS LEVEL OF
SEVERITY, YOU NEED PROFESSIONAL
PEOPLE THERE.
PEOPLE THERE. YOU NEED SOME KIND OF A PROGRAM
THAT KNOWS HOW TO DEAL WITH
THIS.
THIS. >> Karen: SHE WAS GIVEN A LIST
OF PROVIDERS TO CONTACT.
DID YOU FIND ANYTHING?
>> NOTHING, NOTHING.
ALL 62 PROVIDRS DID NOT ACCEPT
OUR DAUGHTER ON THIS LEVEL.
>> Karen: SO AFTER MUCH
RESEARCH, SHE FOUND AN
OUT-OF-STATE FACILITY TO HELP
HER CHILD AND YOU WON’T BELIEVE
WHAT THE STATE OF MICHIGAN DID.
>> MICHIGAN WILL NOT BACK ME ON
THAT.
THAT. THEY DO NOT WANT US TAKING HER
OUT OF STATE TO ANOTHER
FACILITY.
FACILITY. THE STATE IS RECOMMENDING THAT
SHE BE PUT INTO A PSYCHIATRIC
WARD HERE IN MICHIGAN.
>> Karen: WHEN SHE WOULDN’T
COMPLY, MICHIGAN PULLED HER
MEDICAID BENEFITS.
MEDICAID BENEFITS. >> THEY SENT ME A LETTER SAYING
THAT YOUR MEDICAID WAIVER IS NO
LONGER AVAILABLE BECAUSE YOUR
DAUGHTER IS CURRENTLY OUT OF
STATE.
STATE. >> IF YOU DON’T HAVE A FACILITY
HERE FOR HER IN THIS STATE, YOU
MUST FIND A FACILITY OUT OF
STATE.
STATE. >> Jason: THE SENATOR IS FUMING
ABOUT THIS CASE.
>> JACKIE HAS A NEED AND WE’RE
SUPPOSED TO MEET THE EXPECTATION
OF THE NEED.
>> Karen: ONCE THEY HIRED AN
ATTORNEY, THEY GOT THIS LETTER,
THAT THEY HAVE REINSTATED HER
MEDICAID RETROACTIVELY.
MEDICAID RETROACTIVELY. >> I SUGGEST THEY DO THEIR JOB
OR GET OUT AND LET SOMEBODY ELSE
DO IT.
DO IT. >> Karen: THEY SAY THE STATE AND
OAKLAND COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK
HAS DENIED THE OUT-OF-STATE
PLACEMENT AND FUNDING FOR JACKIE
DESPITE THERE BEING NO SERVICES
AVAILABLE IN MICHIGAN.
SO THEY’RE STUCK.
>> THEY OPEN HER A LETTER
INDICATING THERE’S NO FACILITY
AND THEY’RE HOLDING BACK ON
THAT.
THAT. THE COUNTY OF OAKLAND MUST BE
HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO DO THEIR JOB
AS ANY OTHER MENTAL HEALTH
DEPARTMENT IN THIS STATE.
>> Karen: I DID CONTACT AND THEY
SAID THEY CANNOT COMMENT.
THE SIBLEY FAMILY IS PUSHING FOR
THE LETTER FROM THE STATE OF
MICHIGAN ACKNOWLEDGING THERE ARE
NO FACILITIES HERE SO THE
DOLLARS CAN PAY FOR HER OUT OF
STATE.
STATE. MEANTIME, EVERYTHING IS TIED UP,
AND THE BILLS ARE PILING UP.
>> Jason: WHERE’S THE COMMON
SENSE?
SENSE? >> Karen: WE HOPE THIS BRINGS
THE ATTENTION.
THE ATTENTION. THIS IS NOT THE ONLY FAMILY THAT
IS DEALING WITH THIS.