[kimthecatlover]

I wonder why, even though I have not been in the hospital since 1998 and have been stable on meds, my PACT team has to watch me like they do...I have to go to a medication education group, they say I can contribute to and benefit from the group because I am 'high functioning'..If I'm so high functioning, why do I have to go to a group? It's not like I don't socialize or that I need to polish my social skills....I know what meds I'm on, I do call the team if I'm having a problem, and in my opinion I am honest about my feelings...I have not been depressed and I am in touch with reality....so why do I still have to be seen at least once a month when some other people who are doing well don't have to be seen as often? They say it's State law and program policy...I don't understand why the State of New Jersey has a say when I'm not on Medicaid but Medicare...or does the State think, because of my admittedly awful past, that I might backslide and do something awful, even though I do everything I have to do to stay well?

[Lexicon78]

I know that many programs monitor you for quite awhile before doing anything at all. Even if you're doing well they may want to monitor you for longer due to your past and because sometimes when you seem to be doing well you can suddenly backslide for one reason or another.

Try to keep your head up!

[Hopefull]

Dumb question here. What is a PACT team?

[desirae]

It's just a friendly reminder, to remind you that even if you feel your stable, and doing great (congrats btw) that it's important to stay on the meds and take normally. But I do agree that even unstable people should also attend these classes.

[kimthecatlover]

I've gotten a lot out of being with a PACT team. But sometimes all the monitoring makes me feel like I'm always thought of as disabled first, rather than a person whose disability is just one part of my life...I feel like they sometimes focus on my illness, and making sure I don't 'slip up'...It's like sometimes they seem to be 'waiting for the other shoe to drop' even when I'm doing well and there are good things in my life...It feels to me sometimes like being in a humongous 'playpen' rather than being an independent, functioning human being. Sometimes it makes me feel like my life is not mine....like I'm not really running it.

[kimthecatlover]

Thank you. I see that they are just trying to support me. I've learned that it's an administrative thing with not only PACT but the State of New Jersey to assure quality care.

[eskielover]

I know that I went through many years of really bad times, but here in California, I haven't heard of anything like a PACT group. I am on medicare & would think since it is government run, they would require something like that, but I know that for me, that part of my life is over & I want to leave it there in my past. In my life, new things have happened that have caused other bad things in my life to have to deal with......but I know that I need to focus on what I am going through now & not have to regress back to where I was back in 1998 & for the 4 years before that.

What would they do if you didn't go to the groups anymore?????? Just wondering how much of a requirement they really are?

Debbie