From early childhood, Jessica Deshiro claims that her eldest daughter showed signs of aggression. In recent years, she says, her behavior has gotten much worse. She is concerned that her daughter poses a safety risk to others, including her three other children. “That’s my worst fear. It’s going to take my daughter killing someone to be seen,” Deshiro said. She wants her daughter involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital for long-term residential mental care. It’s not like you said, she would take a knife and come to me. And meanwhile, her younger siblings would have heard the commotion,” Deshiro said. “Her sister, who is now 7, dragged her onto a carpeted floor and slammed her face into the floor,” he added. Diagnoses for the teen, Deshiro says, include oppositional defiant disorder and mood dysregulation. He also has autism. “For a while, I was ashamed. ‘What did I do wrong? Is it because I’m a single mom? Didn’t I pay enough attention to her?’ You know, you go through all of these things,” Deshiro said. There was therapy and numerous visits to emergency departments. He now lives in a Penobscot County teen shelter. Deshiro says psychiatric hospitals in Maine don’t have room or can’t meet her needs. A Tennessee youth facility has agreed to take her, but there’s a waiting list. “I always have to keep pushing those boundaries, telling them, ‘No, she’s not suicidal anymore. It’s homicidal,'” Deshiro said. Like I said, my heart hurts,” said Carlene Mahaffey. Mahaffey is a Certified Intentional Peer Support Specialist who lives in Lewiston. Peer Support Specialists are certified to provide trauma-informed support through lived experience with long-term mental health issues,” Mahaffey said. The involuntary engagement through Maine’s white and blue paper process has come under fire recently. In November, Justin Butterfield, a man with a serious psychiatric condition, was accused of killing his brother. His loved ones claim to have tried unsuccessfully to get him hospitalized. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams recently introduced a plan to take into custody people who appear to be “mentally ill” and “a danger to themselves” by assessments. “Just remember that they are a person. Ask them what’s going on. Listen to them. Have patience. Sit with your discomfort,” Mahaffey said. Mahaffey highlights peer replacement care for adults, which is voluntary short-term non-clinical treatment. Deshiro believes hospitalization is the last, best option for a girl he loves and for whom she has hopes. “She IS such a sweet little girl. If you really know her. Yes, she is super sweet. She loves to ride horses,” said Deshiro. For the past week, Deshiro has been heartbroken. After the facility in Tennessee said they were ready to take her, they followed up and paused her hiring. Deshiro doesn’t know when she will be able to take her daughter there. In a statement Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services of Maine advertised funding proposals for improvements in behavioral health services for $237 million in federal and state support, including $17 million for the Children’s Behavioral Health System. “This investment includes support for a new system and staff to connect children to needed services, additional services to meet complex needs, education and training. These initiatives have been strongly informed by broad stakeholder engagement,” he said in a statement. DHHS spokeswoman Jackie Farwell said. The agency also says the availability of residential children’s services is directly affected by providers’ ability to hire and retain staff amid record unemployment levels.
From early childhood, Jessica Deshiro claims that her eldest daughter showed signs of aggression. In recent years, she says, her behavior has gotten much worse. She is concerned that her daughter poses a safety risk to others, including her three other children.
“That’s my worst fear. It’s going to take my daughter killing someone to be seen,” Deshiro said.
He wants his daughter involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital for long-term residential mental health treatment.
“If she didn’t like what you said, she would have grabbed a knife and come to me. And meanwhile, her younger siblings would have heard the commotion,” Deshiro said.
“Her sister, who is now 7, dragged her onto a carpeted floor and slammed her face into the floor,” she added.
Diagnoses for the teen, Deshiro says, include oppositional defiant disorder and mood dysregulation. He also has autism.
“I felt embarrassed for a while. ‘What did I do wrong? Is it because I’m a single mom? Didn’t I pay enough attention to her?’ You know, you go through all these things,” Deshiro said.
There was therapy and numerous visits to emergency departments.
He now lives in a Penobscot County teen shelter.
Deshiro says psychiatric hospitals in Maine don’t have room or can’t meet her needs.
A Tennessee youth facility has agreed to take her, but there’s a waiting list.
“I always have to keep pushing those boundaries, telling them, ‘No, she’s not suicidal anymore. She’s homicidal,'” Deshiro said.
“Teens. Like I said, my heart hurts,” said Carlene Mahaffey.
Mahaffey is a Certified Intentional Peer Support Specialist who lives in Lewiston.
Peer support specialists are certified to provide trauma-informed support through lived experience with mental health issues.
“I think there’s this rush to have this like, we need something done now, when really, sometimes, it’s going to make things worse in the long run,” Mahaffey said.
Involuntary engagement through Maine’s white and blue paper process has recently come under fire.
In November, Justin Butterfield, a man with a serious psychiatric condition, was accused of killing his brother.
His loved ones say they have tried unsuccessfully to hospitalize him.
In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams recently unveiled a plan to take into custody people who appear to be “mentally ill” and “a danger to themselves” by assessments.
“Just remember that they are a person. Ask them what’s going on. Listen to them. Have patience. Sit with your discomfort,” Mahaffey said.
Mahaffey highlights peer replacement care for adults, which is voluntary short-term non-clinical treatment.
Deshiro believes hospitalization is the last, best option for a girl he loves and has hope for.
“She’s such a sweet little girl. If you really know her. Yes, she’s super sweet. She loves riding horses,” Deshiro said.
For the past week, Deshiro has been heartbroken.
After the facility in Tennessee said it was ready to take her, they followed up and suspended her employment.
Deshiro doesn’t know when he will be able to take his daughter there.
In a statement Wednesday, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services touted proposed funding improvements for Behavioral Health Services of $237 million in state and federal support, including $17 million for the behavioral health of children.
“This investment includes support for a new system and staff to connect children to needed services, additional services to meet complex needs, education and training. These initiatives have been greatly influenced by broad stakeholder engagement,” DHHS spokeswoman Jackie Farwell said in a statement.
The agency also says the availability of residential children’s services is directly affected by providers’ ability to hire and retain staff amid record unemployment levels.