Welcome. On this page I'll start with the Administrative Withdrawal procedure guidelines. It will be followed by the managers reply to my grievance of the Administrative Withdrawal order, aka INVOLUNTARY TAPER, given to me.
1.
The
process of considering an administrative taper involves the
client, counseling staff, Manager,
physician, nurse, and may include Director of Substance Abuse Services.
physician, nurse, and may include Director of Substance Abuse Services.
2.
This
process includes a series of individual sessions, staff consultations, treatment
plan revisions,
behavioral contracts, increases in level of care, and other interventions designed to address the
problem areas and avoid the administrative taper.
problem areas and avoid the administrative taper.
3.
The
physician orders all administrative tapers, usually after consultation with the Manager,
counseling staff, nurse and potentially Director Substance Abuse Services.
counseling staff, nurse and potentially Director Substance Abuse Services.
4.
Administrative tapers can be stopped and/or reversed on the decision of the physician in
consultation with the client, the counseling staff, the Manager, and may include Director of
Substance Abuse Services.
consultation with the client, the counseling staff, the Manager, and may include Director of
Substance Abuse Services.
5.
The
client will be notified of the decision to undertake an administrative taper by a staff member
prior to the start of the administrative taper.
prior to the start of the administrative taper.
6.
Under
no circumstances will a client be
placed on an administrative taper without their
knowledge and all efforts will be made to involve the client in the decision making process.
knowledge and all efforts will be made to involve the client in the decision making process.
7.
The
client will be given
information regarding transfer to another agency providing methadone or
other forms of treatment. Staff will cooperate with the client and the transfer agency in making
the transition ifthe client signs appropriate releases of information and the receiving agency is
agreeable to the transfer.
other forms of treatment. Staff will cooperate with the client and the transfer agency in making
the transition ifthe client signs appropriate releases of information and the receiving agency is
agreeable to the transfer.
8.
When
possible, a detailed relapse prevention plan will be developed with the client prior to the
last dose of an administrative taper.
last dose of an administrative taper.
9.
The
client has a right to grieve an administrative taper decision following the client grievance
procedures found in the orientation materials and the policy and procedure manual. However, the
physician's decision is a final one. Clients will be informed as to his/her rights and the
procedures at the time of taper,
procedures found in the orientation materials and the policy and procedure manual. However, the
physician's decision is a final one. Clients will be informed as to his/her rights and the
procedures at the time of taper,
10. If the
client is placed on a second administrative taper within a 12 month period, that taper will
not be reversed without a physician and clinical team decision that circumstances warrant such a
reversal.
not be reversed without a physician and clinical team decision that circumstances warrant such a
reversal.
II. Conditions under which an administrative taper may occur as follows:
a.
Violence or threats of violence to staff or other clients
b.
Repeated failures to comply with treatment plan/contact
activities and goals despite
revision of the treatment plan/contract.
revision of the treatment plan/contract.
METHADONES0P
Company/Rock Island/Methadone SOP/Guidelines for Administrative Taper from Methadone
Company/Rock Island/Methadone SOP/Guidelines for Administrative Taper from Methadone
--------
c.
Client decision to refuse to enter an ASAM determined level of care
d.
Documentation of methadone diversion
e.
Documentation of illicit drug dealing on the premises
12. Women of childbearing age will be given a pregnancy test and the results will be discussed prior
to the start of an administrative taper. Pregnant women will not be placed on an administrative
taper. Continued treatment plan interventions, including consultation on accessing prenatal care,
will be documented in the file.
to the start of an administrative taper. Pregnant women will not be placed on an administrative
taper. Continued treatment plan interventions, including consultation on accessing prenatal care,
will be documented in the file.
If a client is on a voluntary taper and experiences a relapse into use, they will be encouraged to consider a
resumption of a maintenance dose. If a client continues use of illicit substances and/or fails to continue
treatment according to ASAM criteria and their treatment plan, the voluntary taper may be changed to an
administrative taper. These determinations will be made by clinical and medical staff.
resumption of a maintenance dose. If a client continues use of illicit substances and/or fails to continue
treatment according to ASAM criteria and their treatment plan, the voluntary taper may be changed to an
administrative taper. These determinations will be made by clinical and medical staff.
Violations by the numbers. #1.... No! Nobody talked with me about my withdrawal order before I was blindsided that Thursday morning.
#2. NO! I did not have a series of individual sessions, treatment
plan revisions or given a behavioral contract designed to address
#2. NO! I did not have a series of individual sessions, treatment
plan revisions or given a behavioral contract designed to address
the problem areas, to avoid the administrative taper
Wait... #5, 6 and 7 did not happen either!
Lets jump to the chase, below is the managers response when I
asked her for details of my alleged violation of rules.
asked her for details of my alleged violation of rules.
That's hard to believe isn't it? But believe it, this program manager has willfully ignored all the guidelines of her own program. But wait, this is only the tip of the iceberg of the humiliation, fear, harassment and other abuses from this clinic, particularly from the manager of the methadone program.
She has brought me to tears on several occasions.
Although she refuses to follow the guidelines, I continued to follow the path outline in the grievance procedure. I asked her who the individuals were in her chain of command so that I could give them my grievance as outlined in the grievance procedure. She resisted but eventually gave me this:
Yes, can you believe it, it's another sticky pad with a single name on it. In my grievance I wrote the following:
...... .. I still have not received the exact nature of my violation even though I’ve asked for it several times.
Additionally, I do not believe this incident is being addressed in a compassionate, respectful nor professional manner. Leah, to add insult to injury when I first told you of my intend to go through the grievance process and asked you why I was being put on Administrative withdrawal, your disrespect, contempt and animus toward me did not go unnoticed. I had to ask you several times for the documents and it’s wording so I could address the exact nature of my alleged violation as concisely as possible. It became apparent to me that you had somehow avoided this step of the grievance process. You were totally unprepared for a client to push back at your accusations. I was expecting a copy of the document in my records that clearly articulated the nature of my infraction. I simply wanted to know why I was being forced into withdrawal. With a look that could kill, you acted as if I was troubling you. Then what followed crushed me to my core.
Without looking at me, as if you were trying to ignore me, you grabbed a sticky-note. Not a professional, official looking document from your file that would be worthy of a serious issue of this magnitude, you grabbed a sticky-note and wrote the words “misuse of medication” (see attached copy # 1). I paused because I thought you were joking. I could not believe I was being treated with such contempt and disrespect. You then shoved the note in my direction. Then, in an aggressive tone reminiscent of a prison warden talking to a prisoner you said, “here, take it, this is what you asked for” or something of that nature. I took the crumbled note, lowered my head and walked out. I felt humiliated and very worried.
Now, to EVERYONE reading this, at this juncture I've just begun to fight. Later, my struggles with this manager takes me very close to death. After that near death experience, more torment and harassment came my way.
However, before I forget, I'd like to stick this little piece of the government's regulations right here. Although all of the regulations are important (I've read them several times), this excerpt speaks directly to my complaints. I am not an English major, nor am I lawyer so please bare with me as I try to explain the best I can. Thanks
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA)
(g) Complaints and Appeals (i) All patients have the right to a fair and efficient process for resolving differences with their health plans, health care providers, and the institutions that serve them, including a rigorous system of internal review and an independent system of external review. (ii) Patients are encouraged and assisted throughout treatment to understand and exercise their rights, including -- Reporting without fear of retribution, any instances of suspect abuse, neglect, or exploitation of patients being served in the program.
•) All patients have the right to: A grievance and appeal
process, in accordance with State laws and regulations • Input into program
policies and services through patient satisfaction surveys • Telephone number
of the State regulatory agency responsible for the program and name of a
specific individual or title of the person within that agency who receives
complaints
• Please see
Standard and Example forms, p. 63, for the Consent-to-Treatment form.
(iii) Preventing, Investigating, and Resolving Patient
Complaints Programs develop and display policies and patient
All patients have the right to grievance procedures that
specify minimum elements of due process applicable to the program setting and
resources, including the following: • The right of patients to express verbally
or in writing their dissatisfaction with or complaints about treatment
received. • The right to initiate grievance procedures. • The right to be
informed of the grievance procedures in a manner that can be understood, and a
right to a copy of the procedures upon request. Such procedures should be
clearly articulated, well publicized, posted in conspicuous places within the
program, and easily available to patients. They include program rules,
consequences of noncompliance, and procedures for filing a complaint and/or
grievance. • The right to receive a decision in writing, with the reasoning
articulated.
• The use of involuntary
withdrawal is only as a sanction of last resort
Now, all the above "rights" have been denied me by this program manager.
Again, that's just the tip of the problems I've experience with this center. It must be noted that although I will address this issue as if it's a conspiracy among several employees of "The Center"/ Robert Young/UnityPoint Health Hospitals, I believe one person in particular is responsible for the vast majority of the violations and problems, Leah Morris, the program manager. She has developed a systematic way to dupe the clients and her "staff". You will clearly see how she has tried to paint a picture of her complete innocence, while blaming others for her decisions and wrongdoings. She continues her scheme with the help of 2 people, the door monitor and the nurse. The 3 of them use fear,intimidation and ignorance as their weapons of choice, although she does use "pawns" when necessary. Theses pawns can be other employees under her supervision and/or the unsuspecting doctor(s). But it should be known that during the Nuremberg trails after the fall of Nazi Germany some of the Nazi defendant tried using the argument "I was just following orders, I was afraid of what would happen to me if I didn't comply." Needless to say, that did not work. They knew what they were doing was dead wrong. The same can be said about the other "staff members" and peripheral employees who helped Leah's destructive ways, including upper management, when I brought it to their attention. Some of them choose to duck their heads and shower me with idle promises but did not address the root of the problems. I have all of their correspondence. You can read them and then you make the call. I believe you will agree.
If I was the defendant, I would throw in the towel and ask for mercy because there is no place for them to hide.
I've been fighting for my life, I didn't need a Robert Shapiro or Alan Dershowitz to figure this out.
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