Mountain Retreat provides transportation for children and adolescent patients at the request of parents, legal guardians, and institutions that are the legal custodian such as hospitals and treatment centers, and also by court order. Most often transport occurs between facilities and the patient is voluntarily relocated. Occasionally a child’s behavior will prompt an involuntary transfer.
The fear that their child will “act out” by running away or escalating his or her self destructive behavior is all too real. In some instances children are verbally and physically abusive of their parents and siblings, often threatening serious injury either to themselves or other family members. Frequently, the parents have sought assistance from school counselors, physicians, psychotherapist, juvenile authorities, and the police, to no avail in terms of significant change in the child’s self destructive behavior. When the parent-child relationship has deteriorated to this point, any effective intervention may require placement in a residential treatment program capable of treating the specific issues involved. Circumstances do arise when a parent or legal guardian request that a child be involuntarily transported from their place of residence to a treatment facility. The child or adolescent may have serious mental health issues, experiencing the debilitating effects of drug abuse, or engaging in self destructive or dangerous behavior. Frequently parents feel powerless when it comes to coping with these serious behavioral issues. What this means is that the parent(s) effort to use traditional parental controls have ceased to be effective with this child.
Throughout the country and abroad, there are many public and private programs specializing in the treatment of children who are in this downward spiral. Once the parents select an appropriate program, whether it is a local hospital or remote wilderness school, they are faced with the problem of getting their child to the treatment facility safely and without incident. Faced with the possibility that their child may run away, become violent, or injure themselves, parents need help transporting their child safely to the facility.
Mountain Retreat is prepared to appropriately meet this need by providing competent, experienced personnel, who are specifically trained to provide effective, caring intervention and transport.
Guided by strict company policy and procedures, which are grounded in local, state, and federal laws, Mountain Retreat personnel proceed in a reasonable and prudent manner to protect parents and the child. Our personnel are particularly skilled in dealing with with young patients who are experiencing serious mental or emotional problems, often complicated by drug abuse, and those who are “out of control,” angry, agitated, and acting out in ways that are dangerous to themselves and those around them. Because we view the child as a patient bound for treatment, and we are committed to providing transport while insuring all prudent measures are taken to reduce the potential for confrontation. MRST requires the parent(s) or legal guardian to sign a document authorizing transport personnel to act as their agent, including the use of restraint, when required.
MRST personnel are charged with the responsibility to ensure that all patients are treated in a humane manner, protecting them from harm or injury, even while restraining patients who are resistant or physically combative.