‘They have no idea they’re not going to get what they think they’re going to get.?
That was Tyler Aust’s message for mental health patients, according to his mom, Ruth Achterhoff-Aust.
Aust, 21, died earlier this month of a heroin overdose, according to the Lake Orion Police Department. He was a ‘consumer? or patient of Training and Treatment Innovations (TTI), a non-profit mental health agency.
Aust struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and drug problems in his teen and adult life after an abusive childhood, said his adoptive parents, Richard and Ruth Aust. They became his foster parents when he was six and adopted him at 10.
The couple remembers Aust as a comedian, a creative author, an actor and a caring person. They’re now looking to find an explanation and closure for their son’s death. But, more importantly, they want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
According to Executive Director Jackie Wilson, TTI is a nonprofit mental health agency that works with adults with mental illness, which sometimes includes substance abuse disorders or mental disability. Because of consumer privacy, Wilson could not comment or acknowledge Aust’s participation in TTI.
‘The message I would like to get out is my frustration,? said Aust’s mother. She’s been a social worker for many years, and believes TTI could have done more for her son, who was under TTI’s care since February.
So what do the Austs want from TTI?
Two things: accountability and quality management.
Aust’s father’s frustration stems from TTI’s lack of ‘measurable? results.
‘How do they measure their success? Do they graduate (consumers) or do they just warehouse them?? he asked. ‘Don’t put blind faith into the system.?
The Austs say their son has had poor luck in the mental health system because of his unique needs. In addition to his disorder, Aust was deaf.
‘As if teenage angst isn’t bad enough,? said his father, who added that two weeks before he died. Aust was happy, functioning and kicking his dad’s butt in chess.
Despite physical and mental setbacks, Aust was set on being ‘self determined,? or independent, his parents said.
Wilson said TTI’s goal is ‘to support people to live independently or as independently as possible and move toward recovery, to be an active participant in the community and to have good quality relationships.?
But, according to Aust’s parents, that’s not what TTI was helping their son with.
‘Tyler could be outspoken.? He could not have been more clear in his verbalization of wanting help with his drug problem, his desire to be seen by the psychiatrist he had a relationship and history with, his desire to be self determined and to work with a subcontracting agency ? he got none of those things,? said his mom. ‘It seemed like (TTI) was much more concerned with agency welfare than Tyler’s.?
Ruth said she was extremely frustrated with TTI because they suppressed her son’s requests to be switched out of TTI’s program and into a different mental health program.
‘TTI teaches dependency not independency,? she said. ‘He tried to change service providers several times but TTI wouldn’t let him.?
TTI also denied Aust’s request to see his own psychiatrist, according to his parents.