Anyone looking into RHD or the RIST program. Think twice. RHD RIST is the program that took Nick out of his care facitlity "The Pines", in Norfolk Virginia.
The program is meant for those that are mentally disabled. They call them COMSUMERS. This is much better than calling them clients and much much better than calling them patients. Years ago....we just just called them loonies. Consumers get their own apartment and are "grown" into mature useful adults.
Nick is a consumer with RHD/RIST. It is my opinion that there must be something provided for Nick to be a consumer. I am not sure really what it is they have provided. He did get a used PS2 with games that have a very mature rating and all the words that the characters speak are shagging expletives. I guess that is what he is consuming. PS2. Personally I think he is just a client and I liked it much better when he was a patient.. At least the assumption was there that he needed help. But he as become Someone waiting to consume. There is a bunch of old used furniture that I guess Nick consumes. I feel bad sometimes for the conditions Nick lives in....but it is much better than lifing on the street. It is better to Consume in squalid conditions than to not consume at all.
I want to point out something very interesting has happened during the past several months.. Over seven months Nick has been healed. He is no longer cosidered to have any of the mental diagnosis that he had for the past 10 years. Gone. He is a normal 19 year old experiencing age appropriate behaviour. That has been RHD/RIST contribution. He was misdiagnosed for the last decade. He must have consumed something lateIy I do not know about.
Most important, Nick is losing his consumer title. He violated some rules but rather than help him work through his problems he has become a liability to RHD/RIST. So....they plan on taking away his consumer credentials. No one knows what his next credentialing will be. Hopefully not INMATE. There are placement Issues and it is clear in the end that RHD RIST does not want any affilitation with a troubled client...duh...patient...errr...consumer.
Maybe you are all asking, "Why can't Nick come home?" Realisitically there are some real violent issues that I believe are not resolved and I am not prepared to expose the family at this time. Nick is definitely improved from when he left the home in jan 2005. I give a lot of credit to "The Pines". RHD RIST claims all the credit. I would love to give them some of it, but I do believe they could have done more.
The book is not closed. I will keep you all updated.