Author Topic: Parents Sue  (Read 4687 times)

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Offline Deborah

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Parents Sue
« on: February 02, 2004, 08:13:00 PM »
Copyright 2004 MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers
San Mateo County Times (San Mateo, CA)
January 30, 2004 Friday

HEADLINE: Parents of teen suicide sue County Mother said 16-year-old had troubles
with alcohol
BYLINE: By Tim Hay, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: REDWOOD CITY
The parents of a teen who hanged himself while being treated at the Day Top Village drug rehabilitation center are suing San Mateo County, two counselors and a doctor, saying their son was misdiagnosed for depression and that gross
negligence contributed to his suicide.

Alan and Vicki Henry say their son Will, who was 16 when he died, should have been kept in a locked mental health facility, and are seeking unspecified damages.

The case was recently thrown out of federal court when a judge found no federal violations, County Counsel Tom Casey said Thursday.

"It's a complete tragedy, but I don't think anybody did anything wrong," he said. "That's what came out of the federal court."

Will Henry was arrested in April 2000, the suit said. His mother told The Times in 2001 he had problems with alcohol.

According to the suit:
Henry told police and probation officials at the time of his arrest that he was considering committing suicide. He was sent to the psychiatric unit at St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco, where a doctor prescribed 10 milligrams of Prozac a day.

When Henry became restless and uncomfortable, his dosage was doubled.

After a short stay at St. Mary's, Henry was moved to Hillcrest Juvenile Hall, where he continued to take Prozac but got no other treatment for depression.

On May 22, after less than a month in juvenile hall, Henry was released to Day Top Village, a residential drug treatment program.

At the rehab, Dr. Don Mordecai doubled Henry's Prozac dosage to 40 milligrams a day, though the suit claims the teen was suffering from "Akathisia," a side-effect of antipsychotic medications and antidepressants characterized by
extreme restlessness and increased depression.

The suit doesn't indicate whether Henry was ever diagnosed with Akathisia, which, according to the Scottish Medical Journal, can lead to "increased risk of suicide and violence."

According to the lawsuit, "Will's condition went from one of a passive, depressive nature into an actively anxious, severely suicidal condition, which put him at even higher risk of self-injury and death."

The suit also claims Henry made repeated threats about killing himself while at Day Top, and that he cut himself with razor blades and paper clips.

Anticipating a visit from his mother on June 13, Will told several counselors he planned to steal money from her, then walk out of the facility and kill himself, according to the suit.

Though he didn't steal from his mother, five days after the visit he left the center in the evening -- stuffing clothing inside his blankets to make it look like he was sleeping, his mother said -- and hanged himself, according to the
suit.

The Henrys, who could not be reached for comment Thursday, are suing the County, Day Top, Dr. Mordecai and two counselors.

Claims made in a lawsuit give only one side of a story. A spokesman said Day Top makes it a policy not to speak about its current or former  clients.

Staff writer Tim Hay covers County government. He can be reached at 306-2428 or by
e-mail at [email protected] .
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
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Offline Anonymous

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Parents Sue
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2004, 10:43:00 PM »
Wow, this is really a horrific tragedy.  Damn these places, they had a chance to help this poor kid and still, he managed to fall through the cracks.  Reminds me of the little boy who hung himself at Alldredge a couple of years ago.  God bless their souls. :sad:
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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Parents Sue
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2004, 12:02:00 PM »
IT APPEARS THE KID WAS A NUT CASE NOT JUST AN ALCOHOLIC-OF COURSE ITS SAD THAT THE KID TOOK HIS LIFE BUT HE NEEDED TO BE IN A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY AND PARENTS MADE THE WRONG DECISION TO SEND HIM THERE--CASE CLOSED
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Inculcated

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Re: Daytop and the death of Will Henry
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2009, 06:42:48 PM »
Loved ones of Will Henry have a website relating the events surrounding his death McAuley Institute, Prozac and Daytop Village
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
“A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free”  Nikos Kazantzakis

Offline Inculcated

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Thom Bennington
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2009, 06:49:32 PM »
Thomas Eugene Bennington, 23
Excerpted From:
"A Mother's Love and Sorrow Illuminates a Son's Spirit"
"Thom Bennington's death has freed him of his demons" – (That’s some cold prose, Brex.)
By Kate Brex -The Chatham Courrier

…Nothing seemed to make a difference to the boy. He was miserable, she said.

He began experimenting with drugs and alcohol when he was 13, his mother said. It took the edge off.

Over the years, Thom was in and out of rehab facilities, including Daytop in Mendham. He was also in and out of trouble with law, his mother said.

Tough Love

Melinda and her husband Doug believed in “tough love” and never consciously enabled Thom. The Benningtons knew that each addict had a bottom to reach before getting clean and sober, an option that must be generated by the addict himself. And they were aware that an addict’s bottom could be death, an option tucked away quietly in the back of the mind…

…The cross-country flight and subsequent return was a reaction to his parents’ ultimatum, “Get treatment or get out.”
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
“A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free”  Nikos Kazantzakis

Offline Inculcated

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Accrual based accountability
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2009, 07:33:11 PM »
Quote from: "Eliscu2"
Beside that, Daytop can drive you crazy, so can being in an institute. :suicide:
Check (x4) and Check (x 3.3) …and carry the other factors around for a while =...uh oh!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
“A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free”  Nikos Kazantzakis

Offline try another castle

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Re: Parents Sue
« Reply #6 on: September 30, 2009, 07:53:57 AM »
I've actually seen a few SSRI commercials where it explicitly states "this medication is NOT recommended for teenagers"

I concur. Definitely not.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline friendofbill

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Re: Parents Sue
« Reply #7 on: April 03, 2010, 12:43:37 AM »
Parents of teen suicide sue County Mother said 16-year-old had troubles
with alcohol
BYLINE: By Tim Hay, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: REDWOOD CITY
The parents of a teen who hanged himself while being treated at the Day Top Village drug rehabilitation center are suing San Mateo County, two counselors and a doctor, saying their son was misdiagnosed for depression and that gross
negligence contributed to his suicide.

Alan and Vicki Henry say their son Will, who was 16 when he died, should have been kept in a locked mental health facility, and are seeking unspecified damages.

The case was recently thrown out of federal court when a judge found no federal violations, County Counsel Tom Casey said Thursday.

"It's a complete tragedy, but I don't think anybody did anything wrong," he said. "That's what came out of the federal court."

Will Henry was arrested in April 2000, the suit said. His mother told The Times in 2001 he had problems with alcohol.

According to the suit:
Henry told police and probation officials at the time of his arrest that he was considering committing suicide. He was sent to the psychiatric unit at St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco, where a doctor prescribed 10 milligrams of Prozac a day.

When Henry became restless and uncomfortable, his dosage was doubled.

After a short stay at St. Mary's, Henry was moved to Hillcrest Juvenile Hall, where he continued to take Prozac but got no other treatment for depression.

On May 22, after less than a month in juvenile hall, Henry was released to Day Top Village, a residential drug treatment program.

At the rehab, Dr. Don Mordecai doubled Henry's Prozac dosage to 40 milligrams a day, though the suit claims the teen was suffering from "Akathisia," a side-effect of antipsychotic medications and antidepressants characterized by
extreme restlessness and increased depression.

The suit doesn't indicate whether Henry was ever diagnosed with Akathisia, which, according to the Scottish Medical Journal, can lead to "increased risk of suicide and violence."

According to the lawsuit, "Will's condition went from one of a passive, depressive nature into an actively anxious, severely suicidal condition, which put him at even higher risk of self-injury and death."

The suit also claims Henry made repeated threats about killing himself while at Day Top, and that he cut himself with razor blades and paper clips.

Anticipating a visit from his mother on June 13, Will told several counselors he planned to steal money from her, then walk out of the facility and kill himself, according to the suit.

Though he didn't steal from his mother, five days after the visit he left the center in the evening -- stuffing clothing inside his blankets to make it look like he was sleeping, his mother said -- and hanged himself, according to the
suit.

The Henrys, who could not be reached for comment Thursday, are suing the County, Day Top, Dr. Mordecai and two counselors.

Claims made in a lawsuit give only one side of a story. A spokesman said Day Top makes it a policy not to speak about its current or former clients.


HEARTBREAKING STORY  TOO BAD HE TRAUMATIZED STAFF CANNOT SUE THE FAMILY.....
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Antigen

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Re: Parents Sue
« Reply #8 on: April 03, 2010, 11:54:28 AM »
Quote from: "friendofbill"
HEARTBREAKING STORY  TOO BAD HE TRAUMATIZED STAFF CANNOT SUE THE FAMILY.....

Hey there, Fob. Welcome.

I've seen you post this a few times. Why do you think this family traumatized the staff? Serious question.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
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Offline SharonMcCarthy

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Re: Parents Sue
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2010, 08:40:14 AM »
0
« Last Edit: May 10, 2010, 05:56:14 PM by SharonMcCarthy »
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Offline SEKTO

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Re: Parents Sue
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2010, 08:51:16 AM »
Do you think that this incident has anything to do with the fact they no longer call themselves DAYTOP California, but changed the name to Our Common Ground?  

As you can see, the URL is still daytopca.org

Look at the address here, Redwood City:

http://www.daytopca.org/contact.html

OCG Adolescent Services
631 Woodside Road
Redwood City, CA 94061
(650) 367-9030
(650) 367-9030 ext. 15 (intake)
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »