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Experiences of Crisis Teams?

Jenny Butterfly

I really feel in crisis for quite a bit of the time these days.  However, asking for help for myself and being open and honest about our situation also brings with it the worrying possibility of unwanted "help" from services untrained in autism.

I'm thinking about the Crisis Team in particular, with which we've had some very disappointing and damaging experiences.  

Is there anything to ask or be aware of that might enable us to actually get something useful from them?  Any special autism-friendly service?

Otherwise what on earth do families do when they're in crisis but know this team cannot help?

Parents

  • Crisis team are useless, Your better off contacting your local authority for a needs assessment and a healthcare plan being made which will provide you access to support worker and specialised services and advocate on your behalf to get the right help.

    Alternatively you could contact your local autism partnership or autism charity and see if they are able to provide emergency therapy, advocacy or support.   

  • in reply to Blue

    Problem I have is that need for an advocate is recognised, but no one will give me one. If I do get one the GP won't make it possible to see me with one because the only route past the receptionist to make an appointment is to ring at 8 - an advocate can't be on stand by all day just for me. And yet it's the GP who says I need one. I've needed a GP appointment for over a year and can't get one with an advocate present.

    Upshot, I cannot access any health care at all. My only contact with them is by letter, and it takes months to get a one line reply.

Reply
  • in reply to Blue

    Problem I have is that need for an advocate is recognised, but no one will give me one. If I do get one the GP won't make it possible to see me with one because the only route past the receptionist to make an appointment is to ring at 8 - an advocate can't be on stand by all day just for me. And yet it's the GP who says I need one. I've needed a GP appointment for over a year and can't get one with an advocate present.

    Upshot, I cannot access any health care at all. My only contact with them is by letter, and it takes months to get a one line reply.

Children
  • in reply to Dawn

    When making the appointment have the advocate with you, to help you navigate the conversation. The advocate should inform of reasonable adaptations that the surgery must take into account when you are making an appointment. it is a discriminatory act for a doctor surgery not to make reasonable adaption for someone who is protected and covered under the equality act.

    Reasonable adaptations' doctors surgery's can make would be given you an exact time or 30 minute window for a phone appointment. this should make it possible for advocate to attend appointment with you. Reasonable adaptations could also include making an appointment with a doctor you feel comfortable with the appropriate training. 

    You need to write a letter with your advocate to complain about about delays in response and thus treatment. if they fail to respond in 30 days i would go down the formal complaint system and the advocate should be able to assist you. This will lead to the surgery taking autism and Mental health training.