Show Notes
A LOT of the kids we're representing are being prescribed psychotropic medications - especially the older youth. John, Angela, and Deborah talk about ways children's attorneys can get more information and confidence in this area to effectively advocate for clients even if we don't have medical expertise:
The NIH says children in foster care are 6.8% more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medication than their non-foster care peers. As children's attorneys and not medical professionals, it is not our role to diagnose, but it is our role to make sure decision-makers have complete information, ask questions, and make sure everyone has done their due diligence before our clients are added to this very high number.
Some children need medicine but what's the full picture? Are the problematic behaviors related to a trauma response? Do they persist across all aspects of the child's life (home, school, etc.)? Are there other therapies or supports that should be used instead of or in addition to the medication?
Is everyone following the law? Because of the severity of side effects of some psychotropic medications and because some are not approved for use in children specifically, most states have detailed statutes, administrative rules, and/or operating procedures. Sometimes just holding the system accountable to the child by ensuring the law is followed is enough to protect your client.
More from The Children's Law Podcast
In this episode, Angela talks with Dr. Frank W. Putnam, author of Old Before Their Time: A Scientific Life Investigating How Maltreatment Harms Children and the Adults They Become. Dr. Putnam is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and an authority on the lifetime effects of childhood maltreatment. He is co-founder, with the late Dr. Penelope Trickett, of the Female Growth and Development Study (FGDS), an ongoing 35+ year, multigenerational study of the enduring biopsychosocial effects of childhood sexual abuse on female development. This episode highlights key points from the book and actions children's lawyers can take to help their clients, particularly those who have been sexually abused. For more on Dr. Putnam and the book, visit his website. To learn more about the iCare training, visit https://www.icarecollaborative.org/ For the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, visit https://www.nctsn.org/
In this episode, Angela talks with Tim Keller of the Center for the Rights of Abused Children about asserting constitutional rights on behalf of your clients. You won't want to miss this discussion! For more information about the Center for Abused Children: Center for the Rights of Abused Children We discussed this free resource to jumpstart your practice: A Practice Manual for Lawyers Representing Abused and Neglected Children; Asserting, Arguing, and Appealing the Constitutional Rights of Children in Foster Care
In this episode, Angela, Jim and John discuss the way immigration policies and enforcement are harming children. We reference the following quote by Nelson Mandela as we discuss these issues: "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." As mentioned in the episode, we want to offer a way for you to reach out to members of Congress. Here are two options to locate your Representatives and Senators: Official: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
In this episode, John, Jim and Angela discuss the transformative power of filing claims on behalf of your clients. We discuss your duty as a children's lawyer and the specific benefits to your clients. If you have questions or suggested podcast topics, you can reach us by email ([email protected]). If you like the podcast, please share with your colleagues, subscribe and rate the show!
In this episode, John and Angela take on the difficult topic of creating and holding boundaries with child clients. Filled with nuance and contradictions, the topic of boundaries is challenging for many children's lawyers. We hope you enjoy the discussion! Feel free to reach out with comments or episode ideas to Angela, at [email protected].