Opinion ID: 2669632
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Emma’s Background

Text: Emma is the 21-year-old mother of Joey. Emma suffered sexual, emotional, and physical abuse as a child and was in foster care between ages five and seven. She testified at her parental rights termination hearing that she was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was seven, spent time in hospitals as a child, and between the ages of 13 and 17 was in an out-of-state residential treatment program. She has also been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder “stemming from multiple sexual assaults as a child.” The record indicates that even before Joey’s birth and Emma’s involvement with OCS, Emma had difficulty finding an effective treatment regime for her bipolar disorder. While she was in the residential treatment program, Emma was treated with therapy and extensive mood-stabilizing and anti-depressant medication for her bipolar disorder. When asked whether the therapy was helpful, Emma testified “[a]s far as emotionally, yes. As far as my behaviors and my actions and my thought process, no.” She also detailed her persistent problems finding an effective and sustainable medication regime: I was released at 17, but . . . over the years, trying to give me therapy kind of got frustrating because I would get better over six to eight months and then I would . . . slide right back down the hill. . . . I would get to a therapeutic level [of medication] and I’d do good, good, good, but then I’d have a medical issue with the medication as far as Depakote made me stop the production of my white blood cells, Seroquel -3- 6893 made me gain too much weight, Lithium dried me out too much and then I would ask to switch something, but when I would switch it, I would just start going back downhill. Since returning to Alaska, Emma has not engaged in regular mental health treatment and has been unable to find regular employment or housing, periodically staying at Covenant House or at the Brother Francis Shelter.