Neighbor with paranoid schizophrenia

[Arya Stark]

Originally Posted by Chill Cosby

Well, actually, a person who drove drunk because of a medical illness like alcoholism is probably going to get sympathy as they are unable to control their alcohol intake.

A person without alcoholism who drives drunk would likely get no sympathy however, as they are in full control of their alcohol consumption.

Why would they get sympathy? They decided to drive while being drunk, something they can control. They can be drunk all they want but you make the decision to get behind the wheel of a car drunk.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

A lot of people seem to feel overly sympathetic for the rights (I'm not saying lock them up but....) of people with mental illness as long as these mentally ill people aren't in their back yard. Such is the self-righteousness of internet. The OP's concern is real and most people here would feel the same way in his shoes.

You think I don't have mental illness concerns in my own back yard? If so, you would be mistaken.

[Chill Cosby]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

In what way is that comparable?

Choosing to forgo chemotherapy would not threaten the life of anyone other than the person with cancer. It is absolutely a personal decision.

Point I'm making in this thread is that nobody has the right to put others in harms way. If you are mentally stable, and you chased someone with a knife, I believe you deserve some time in jail. If you are mentally ill, and that illness caused you to chase someone with a knife, I believe you need to be monitored.

24/7 monitoring is part of a treatment plan. You are not medically qualified to make that judgement call, so in that way it's the very same as you making specific judgements on someone's cancer treatment.

It's not wrong to say this person needs treatment. They are getting treatment. Whatever led to this incident will be addressed. It is wrong however to think you have close to the breadth of knowledge required to make judgements on something as specific and personal as this person's supervision arrangements.

He does not have the right to endanger others, but you don't even know if he HAS. The details we have from the story are that someone with a mental disability came out of a house screaming about a knife, and police were at the scene. A knife wasn't ever seen, nor do we have even a semblance of the full story, but you're making a judgement call as though the story is cut and dry and the details are clear. They aren't.

There is a large gap between what you currently know and what you need to know to make that judgement, and that is what I take issue with.

For all we know, the person who ran out of the house was having an episode, and believed the person with the "knife" (who was actually holding a butter knife, and buttering toast on the kitchen) was chasing them, even though they weren't.

We can't know of that's true, but there isn't much evidence of it being false either.

Originally Posted by Arya Stark

Why would they get sympathy? They decided to drive while being drunk, something they can control. They can be drunk all they want but you make the decision to get behind the wheel of a car drunk.

Perhaps worded poorly, but when you're an alcoholic the "decisions" that you or I make after have a few beers at the bar are rarely made in the same mental condition. I'm not suggesting you forgive them of their crime, but to feel no sympathy for someone who is mentally ill when their crime is a direct result of a mental illness is fairly bizarre.

Alcoholism is not remotely the point of this thread though, so I won't get into that discussion further, feel free to PM me though.

[afc wimbledon]

My two cents worth, as a foster parent of severely effed up teenagers, with the usual gamut of mental health, addiction and social issues I am keenly aware of the effect of my house on my neighbours, I limit the kids I take based on them, I have moved kids out that affect my neighbours far quicker than just being morons inside the house.
I get well paid to live with my kids, my neighbours don't and they have the right to some peace and quiet.

That said my neighbourhood is in many ways way safer than most in east van, my kids take the don't crap where you eat lesson to heart and have beaten seven bells out of crackheads and binners that try and thieve in our area because they know they will get blamed

[Chill Cosby]

Originally Posted by fotze

Just out of curiosity why do you do this? We have some friends whose parents have taken and adopted severely buggered kids and there has to be something other than being Mother Teresa like people. I am way too selfish to even consider something like that.

The pay is VERY generous, depending on the kids.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by fotze

Just out of curiosity why do you do this? We have some friends whose parents have taken and adopted severely buggered kids and there has to be something other than being Mother Teresa like people. I am way too selfish to even consider something like that.

I've worked with kids pretty much all my life, always enjoyed the challenge, I like kids, I like teaching, watching the little lessons sink in over a few years, everything from how to cook rice to how to fight honourably.
I am quite good at it, so my guys do really well, got a lad in UBC another kid in the navy as a radar operator, both were crack dealers when they moved in with me at 15, every kids a puzzle basically, you try to work out what went wrong and how you can get them to change.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Chill Cosby

The pay is VERY generous, depending on the kids.

Also very true, but, in my defence, I earn every penny!

[afc wimbledon]

It's also really hard to walk away from, I've tried other gigs but at the end of the day they all seem inconsequential in comparison with helping a kid cope with his mums OD then watching him graduate a couple of years later.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Chill Cosby

The pay is VERY generous, depending on the kids.

Like how much? I'd consider getting a kid for a bit to earn some extra scratch. Definitely wouldn't want them messing up my stuff, though.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by fotze

How generous? Like a grand a month?

I make around 200,000 for caring for three kids.

[Arya Stark]

Originally Posted by fotze

How generous? Like a grand a month?

My parents used to do something similar and I think they got $1500 a month for a kid.

I wouldn't do it for $10,000 a month. Got to give props to the people who do it, money has nothing to do with why they do it.

[afc wimbledon]

It's 24/7 365 a year, literally, no vacations for years, unless you can find someone that can cover for you, and that's tough to find.
And yes they do mess with your stuff, not so much in my case but it happens

[pylon]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Like how much? I'd consider getting a kid for a bit to earn some extra scratch. Definitely wouldn't want them messing up my stuff, though.

You definitely have the right intentions.

I recommend calling child services right now and applying. Just write on the application "Looking for extra scratch."

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

I make around 200,000 for caring for three kids.

Is it your full-time gig or do you have another job, too?

I'm sure it's very tough and I don't think I'm cut out for it TBH. I don't really like challenges of any sort.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Like how much? I'd consider getting a kid for a bit to earn some extra scratch. Definitely wouldn't want them messing up my stuff, though.

Holy crap your a robot

[afc wimbledon]

I used to work full time and foster but the lack of sleep got harder to deal with as I got older, I gave up my job around 6 years ago, now just foster.

[Chill Cosby]

Most people who do it are absolutely awesome people considering the amount they give up to care for these kids. Others? Not quite as much.

There are a minority of people that do it for the money, attempt to scam the system as much as possible, and just generally have poor intentions. You hope they get weeded out over time, but it's unfortunately not always the case.

As I said, they're the definite minority though and seem pretty easy to spot. People like afc are certainly more common, and even though the money seems good (it is), if you're doing your part like afc said, you're earning every single penny.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Chill Cosby

Most people who do it are absolutely awesome people considering the amount they give up to care for these kids. Others? Not quite as much.

There are a minority of people that do it for the money, attempt to scam the system as much as possible, and just generally have poor intentions. You hope they get weeded out over time, but it's unfortunately not always the case.

As I said, they're the definite minority though and seem pretty easy to spot. People like afc are certainly more common, and even though the money seems good (it is), if you're doing your part like afc said, you're earning every single penny.

If I can ask how come you know so much?

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by pylon

You definitely have the right intentions.

I recommend calling child services right now and applying. Just write on the application "Looking for extra scratch."

What's a live-in nanny cost? Surely must be less than $200k. Potential business here, farm out the service work, reap the rewards.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by fotze

I'm just surprised society has gotten something right and these people get paid a fair wage. Was expecting it to be a brutally depressing number.

It is for many, and the system is utterly chaotic so they will ring me up and pay me thousands a month to look after a kid after a placement has broken down with a family who were only getting 900 a month, had they helped out the first family better the placement would have worked!!
It is also completely insecure, one of my kids does something really stupid (and they might) like steal a car and kill someone, I'll get canned regardless, easy fop to keep the papers happy!

Everyone is looking over my shoulder, the whole system is about arse covering, not good parenting, and every 27 year old just out of uni' social worker seems to think my 30 years of working with kids is far less useful than their 3 month practicum at college!