Schuchart of the Child Guidance Clinic diagnosed JoeVaughn with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder and recommended therapeutic group home housing. However, after reporting that he wished to leave his mother’s home, a psychiatric evaluation was conducted on 12/9/14 by Dr. Reynolds, who diagnosed him with Mood Disorder, NOS, Conduct Disorder, and Parent-Child Conflict and recommended placement in a therapeutic group home. On 12/17/14, JoeVaughn was admitted for a 21-day evaluation at Psychiatric Institute of Washington following alleged suicidal statements made in court. The report characterized JoeVaughn as easily triggered with disproportionate responses. The clinicians recommended a therapeutic group home for placement on 1/8/15. On 1/9/15, JoeVaughn was placed with his mother. After running away from home on 1/17/15, JoeVaughn was placed once again at the Umbrella Group Home before absconding on …show more content…
At the New Beginnings Center, juveniles are required to progress through a 6-level behavior modification system in order to earn privileges and eventually their release from the facility. After residing at New Beginnings for nearly one year on a misdemeanor charge, JoeVaughn was still at level one during my interview with him. He earned level 2 status for a short amount of time in December 2015, but was reduced to level one after an incident on Christmas Eve in which he ran from guards after a medical appointment at Children’s hospital. Aside from being demoted to level one, JoeVaughn was also prohibited from petitioning for a new level for 90 days. When discussing this with JoeVaughn, he described difficulty staying positive and focusing on exhibiting the right behavior choices when he will have to remain on his current level for four months regardless of any change in his behavior. Although he met criteria for level one during my interview with him, information has been recently made available that JoeVaughn has, in fact, reached level two status in the past few days. He expressed feeling frustrated and unmotivated to work his way through the level system that he has failed so many times before. JoeVaughn did understand that his behavior choices have landed him in disciplinary situations. He also stated that he lands himself in