CCHR, a mental health industry watchdog, praises OIG report highlighting states’ failed oversight of foster children’s treatment and calls for immediate action to address ongoing…
CCHR says media exposure of child abuse in the $23 billion behavioral industry is in vital need of reform. By CCHR InternationalMental Health Industry WatchdogOctober…
CCHR calls for urgent reforms to protect vulnerable foster children from psychotropic drug risks. By CCHR InternationalThe Mental Health Industry WatchdogAugust 9, 2023 A recent…
Trib Talk – August 26, 2014 By F. Scott McCown A decade ago, Texas had a serious drug problem. Psychotropic medications — like antipsychotics, stimulants, mood…
Not long ago, 7-year-old Brooke was on a medical regimen that might seem extreme, even for an adult: The 43-pound girl was prescribed multiple mind-altering psychotropic drugs.
Dealt a tough hand early in life — her birth mother had a history of drug dealing and prostitution — Brooke was prone to extreme tantrums and wild behavior. Her foster mother, Lisa Ward, says a Florida foster care agency instructed her to take the girl to a mental health clinic. The clinic prescribed anti-psychotic medication, often used to treat schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder.
“Within a few weeks, probably two, they decided that it wasn’t working. They needed to do something else,” Ward recalled. “At this point, she’s getting worse, she’s not getting any better.”
Brooke was given 10 different prescriptions in four months, with the clinic frequently increasing her doses.