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Letters
| From: | KPU |
|---|---|
| To: | Senator Pippy |
| Date: | Tuesday, 05/09/06 |
| Subject: | The need & refusal for Partial Hospitalization for my nephew while his Fathers in Iraq as I have Legal gaurdianship and Jethro has been out of school for more than Month and a half. |
John R. Pippy:
My name is Kathleen Uniatowski the legal gaurdian of my 13 year
old Nephew Jethro Lydel Horace son of PFC Steven P Puskar of
the 404th Infentry Division fighting for our country as he is
currently in Iraq. Jethro suffers from ADHD, and Post
Traumatic Depression. Jethro is currently taking Bi
Polar/scitzofranic medication (Ambilify) at 15 mg and 50 mg. of
Trazedon in the evening and 150 mg of Wellbutrin in the
morning. The details of Jethro mental history are part of his
record and clearly show that extensive therapy would help this
child through these tough years.
Jethro is a student at West Allegheny School District and was
enrolled in the IEP Alternative Education program. He was
removed from the school at the end of March as the IEP
program/Alternate Education state they could not take the
responsibility and they felt at that time there was a need to
place Jett in a Partial hospitalization Program with Academics
as he struggled with behavioral problems. He was pulled out of
school and home schooled for the Month of April and I continued
to persue my options.
My options were presented to me by West Allegheny as Family
Link which I was told right off the bat where not accepted by
The Military insurance Tricare Prime which Jett was covered
by. I was then directed to apply for Medical Assistance her in
Pittsburgh to facilitate a Wrap around program for home. I
emediately applied for Medical Assistance and had drove to
Wesley Spectrum. Spoke to someone the same day and began the
process. I came as far as the final assesment and was denied
Partial Hospitalization because Tricare our Military insurance
would not cover this facility. This whole process took over
two weeks while home schooling was in practice. I was then
informed that maybe there could be a possibility of Jethro
enrolling or being accepted to the Wesley Spectrum
School/Specialized Therapeutic Education Program. I was
notified Friday that there were 4 openings and 8 kids waiting.
Therefore, I began calling around and ended up at Mercy
Behavior and I ran into the same road block. No Tricare would
not pay and there was no room. I then proceded to Western
Psych and Jethro was admitted and spent 7 days and little was
done. A lot of time and money at this point just wasted
because again it ended up the same way. None of the facilities
would go to secondary insurance to take care of this childs
needs. I am now back to square one. I have also called case
management of Tricare (3) times leaving urgent messages with
even more detail than this letter and still no one has called
me back when their message clearly states "A representative
will contact you with in 24 hour work day period. This was
last Tuesday, Wednesday and Monday May 8th and still no return
call. What do I have to do to get help for my nephew.
I contacted West Allegheny yesterday and today explaining to
them that I was getting no help anywhere I go. I told them
that I contacted Child Advocacy and that I was writting a
letter to you. The school finally called me back at 3:00 PM
and told me to bring him back to school tomorrow. This is a
relief, however, there is nothing yet set up to help my
nephew. I can't seem to get anyone to help.
I have two questions: 1. Why does our Military claim that
the "Care about the family" When this kind of thing happens.
My nephew is in need of professional help and no matter what I
do I keep getting turned down?
NOTE: I have been in contact with Tricare several times. I
called case management and different branches of the military
thinking if I could disenroll Jethro the primary would become
Medical Assistance and I would have no problem. I find it hard
to believe that the insurance that is state funded would leave
a child behind like this.
#2. What can you do for me in this situation? Is there
anything you could do to help us get Jethro into a facility
such as Wesley or Holy Family?
My nephew is a Native born Alsakan son of Lillian Horace.
Jethro is in my brothers custody due to circumstance in which
Jethro was removed from the care of his mother and placed in
foster care when Jett was around 7 along with his baby sister
Cherish. Jethro and his sister were place in social services
in Alaska and later placed in a foster home, which he spent the
next couple of years. Before Jethro was placed in foster care
the man he knew to be his father commit suicide. This man was
found to not father Jethro when he attempted to remove them
from Child Services and given a paternity test. Lillian at
this time had to then determine who the father was. My brother
was notified as he was in California for compat training that
there would be a possibility that he may have fathered this
child. He was at 99%. My brother began to take the action
neccessary to take care of this son he had never known about or
met. After 2 long years he gained that right. Jethro then
came to Pittsburgh, PA and when my brother came home from Iraq
he took Jethro back to Texas. Jethro has been with me since
October 2005. He has very real emotional problems steming from
childhood up to present day and I have yet to be satisfied with
the limitiations that the insurance that covers our finest and
their family.