Psychiatrist: ‘Managing Amos’ saga baffling

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/06/26...saga-baffling/
Psychiatrist: ‘Managing Amos’ saga baffling


June 26th, 2015 |
Author: Contributions



I find the whole saga of “managing Amos” baffling. First, months ago, Amos’
mother told the court that Amos was assessed on 2 separate occasions before the
trial began, by IMH psychiatrist(s).

Weeks
later in court, when he rejected probation, he was remanded in prison for 3
weeks to assess his suitability for RTC (Reformative Training Centre). What was
the diagnosis given to Amos by the team of psychiatrists and psychologists who
assessed him? Did they agree with Dr Winslow that Amos has ASD (Autistic
Spectrum Disorder)? Was their report tendered in court yesterday (23 June
2015)?

If they had concluded that Amos is NOT suitable for RTC, couldn’t they also
comment whether Amos is suitable for MTO (Mandatory Treatment Order) because
after all, all psychiatrists, besides diagnosing a patient, are also supposed to
provide a treatment plan which includes medication, counselling, treatment (e.g.
MTO as an outpatient or an in-patient in an institution such as RTC or IMH) and
support for caregivers.

Now, is the remand at IMH for a further 2 weeks to assess his suitability for
MTO (Mandatory Treatment Order) necessary? Especially after spending a gruelling
3 weeks in remand, also for the purpose of assessment? Hence, in total, we are
saying Amos needs 5 weeks for assessment, first for suitability for RTC and now,
for MTO!

Instead of remand at IMH for 2 weeks, shouldn’t Amos be assessed as an
outpatient regarding suitability for MTO? Moreover, shouldn’t the
psychiatrist(s) who had previously seen him at IMH also provide a report to the
court to state a) their diagnosis of Amos and b) whether he is suitable for
MTO?

Essentially, what the judge needs to know are:

a) what is the diagnosis? (Thus far, at least 3
sets of psychiatrists have seen him: IMH, prison and Dr Winslow).

b) what kind of “treatment” (if needed at all) is
best for Amos given the diagnosis of these psychiatrists? RTC or MTO or etc.

c) if he needs further assessment can it be done
as an outpatient?

Finally, conventional psychiatric treatment does not work for some teenagers
with ASD. What Amos needs are creative mental health professionals who can
customise a treatment plan specifically for him so as to engage him and motivate
him to have healthy ways of coping with and mastering life.

For instance, the Israeli Defense Force achieved a series of operational
successes recently thanks to a group of soldiers with autism who contributed
their unique abilities to Intelligence Unit 9900. Read the article here: [Link]

Dr
Ang Yong Guan

* Dr Ang is a psychiatrist in
private practice. He graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1979
and did his postgraduate training in psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh
between 1984 and 1986. He served as a military doctor with the Singapore Armed
Forces (SAF) for 23 years from 1980 to 2003 (17 as a military psychiatrist) and
retired, with the rank of Colonel, as Head of Psychological Care Centre,
Military Medicine Institute, SAF Medical Corps.

Dr Ang was the president of the Singapore Psychiatric Association
(1997-1998); chairman of the Chapter of Psychiatrists, Academy of Medicine
(2001- 2003); and a member of the National Council on Problem Gambling (2005 –
2011). He is currently founder-chairman of Action Group for Mental Illness (from
2004 to the present), a national group advocating for the mentally ill.

He contested, together with Mr Tan Jee Say, Dr Vincent Wijeysingha and Ms
Michelle Lee, under the banner of the Singapore Democratic Party in
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in the last general election in 2011. The team polled
39.92% of the valid votes cast, compared to the People’s Action Party’s
60.08%.

Source: Ang Yong Guan’s Facebook
page


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