Reed, of south St. Louis County,
alleges that families were rushed toward medical interventions without regard to whether adolescents were in extreme mental health distress. She claims side effects were glossed over, and drugs were prescribed even if one parent did not consent.
But parents interviewed by the Post-Dispatch cast doubt on Reed’s ability to know what happened inside exam rooms as an employee who did not have a medical or managerial role, and whom they rarely saw. The case manager’s job duties, as described in a Washington U. posting, comprise patient intake, scheduling appointments and providing information about community resources to families.
Reed emailed parents with reminders, asking them to contact her with questions. The printouts that were attached detailed medical protocols, including side effects, risks and reversibility. They listed contact information for dozens of local wraparound services, LGBTQ advocacy organizations and licensed mental health professionals.
Patients recounted that the staff explained procedures using both medical and everyday vocabulary.
“The doctor reached out to me after hours to answer my questions and make sure I understood what my treatment plan was,” said a 16-year-old from the St. Louis area.
Rather than the “rapid medicalization” and “poor assessment of mental health concerns” that Reed cited in a
complaint sent to Bailey in January, parents reported a well-defined, step-by-step approach that could be halted at any time.
