Tracy Glaze

Review of Highland Rivers Center

My soon to be adopted 7yo son was referred here by...

My soon to be adopted 7yo son was referred here by Medicaid. During intake (Dr S) I voiced my concerns about my son s need for long term therapy and getting stuck in the cycle of a new therapist every few months. When bonding to a therapist is paramount to effective therapy, that whole cycle is a waste of everyone s time. About 6mos in, my son had bonded nicely with his therapist and then I got the call and my son was reassigned. After a few visits with the new therapist, she determined my son s needs were outside the scope of her abilities. For 2 months I tried to find another therapist. Then I get a call from a new hire telling me he can help my son. I voice all the same concerns to the new therapist. At the appointment, I learn that the therapist is not actually a full fledged therapist yet, but he insists on seeing my son. At this point some therapy is better than no therapy and my son likes him.

After discussing education options with my son s EBD teacher, my husband and I came to the conclusion it was time to start medication therapy. So we were referred to Dr S. We won t be going back to see her. She is more concerned with typing than listening and then wants to put my child on medication she is unfamiliar with. I was told I could research it and get back with her. I then ask if the meds were covered by Medicaid and she didn t know nor did she make any attempt to find out. Frustrated, I called the psychiatrist who did my son s initial psychological evaluation almost a year ago and found out she had an opening and started taking Medicaid. I immediately made an appointment to go see her. She has someone she coordinates with for medication who also accepts Medicaid and is familiar with the medications they are prescribing as well as what Medicaid will and will not cover.

I intentionally left out the names of the 3 therapists my son has seen in less than a year because this issue is not their doing. As I stated, some therapy is better than none. However, when putting a 7yo child on psychiatric medications, I want my child s doctor to be educated on the medication. Knowledge of insurance coverage is also a must. How effective is medicinal therapy going to be if it s not covered and cost more than I can afford? This tells me that Dr S is not the least bit concerned with providing her patients with with even mediocre care. So, definitely do go in expecting exceptional.