Opinion ID: 1811753
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Rehabilitation of G.B.B. Unsuccessful

Text: The second inquiry under La. Ch.Code art. 1015(3)(k) is whether the State established that prior attempts to rehabilitate G.B.B. have been unsuccessful. The record in M.B.'s termination case established then that G.B.B.'s prognosis is poor based upon her longstanding psychiatric history, even if periodically her mental condition may improve temporarily. In the instant matter, the trial court acknowledged it does not know if [G.B.B.] will ever be able to care for or obtain custody of [L.B.] and that [s]he is not able to at this time. In addition, the court of appeal acknowledged there is no question that G.B.B. is an ill woman and further acknowledged her history of non-compliance with regard to her medications and that she has been a difficult client, cursing her caseworker, and refusing to answer questions. By way of background, G.B.B., a forty year old female, has been diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder and bipolar disorder. [7] G.B.B. is taking at least four medications to help control her illness, one of which is by injection to assist in compliance. Although she has a history of non-compliance as it pertains to taking her medications, her current treating psychiatrist, Dr. Brenda Price, testified she has been compliant for the last six months. However, Dr. Price also testified that it is within reasonable probability that if G.B.B. were to stop taking her medications she would relapse, becoming a danger to herself and others and requiring hospitalization as in the past. In addition, Dr. Price could not state with any certainty, given G.B.B.'s diagnosis, whether she would continue to be compliant. Also, she could not state an opinion of whether G.B.B. had the ability to take care of L.B., explaining it was not her area of expertise and she could not make such an assessment. Moreover, Dr. John Simoneaux, a licensed psychologist, testified that he had known and seen G.B.B. in various capacities for over fifteen years as he worked in the psychiatric ward at Huey P. Long Medical Center and Central State Hospital. He confirmed G.B.B.'s history of non-compliance with her medication and noted she had been hospitalized for her illness at least eight times. The latest had been for a three year period from 1995 to 1998. Dr. Simoneaux last saw her on February 21, 2000, for a scheduled evaluation to assess her ability to care for L.B.; however, he testified the assessment could not be completed because G.B.B. would not cooperate with the testing and became very loud, angry and used profanity in front of children and other persons in his office. Dr. Simoneaux testified that based on his prior knowledge of G.B.B. and what he observed in his office on February 21, 2000, as far as G.B.B.'s mental status, she had not changed that much and her behavior was consistent with how he had seen her in the hospital on several previous occasions. More importantly, Dr. Simoneaux testified that six months is not long enough to gauge compliance for someone with G.B.B.'s illness history and is insufficient to determine future compliance. Moreover, he testified that because G.B.B. has a chronic mental illness that was diagnosed at such an early age, she had a poor, very poor prognosis of getting any better. Based on a review of the record, we conclude the lower courts erred in determining G.B.B.'s efforts to rehabilitate herself by taking her medication for a mere six month period is an appropriate gauge for future compliance given her history of illness. As noted by her treating psychiatrist, it is within a reasonable probability that if G.B.B. were to stop taking her medication she would relapse, becoming a danger to herself, to others, and especially L.B. Thus, we find the State established that prior attempts to rehabilitate G.B.B. have been unsuccessful, meeting the second requirement of La. Ch.Code 1015(3)(k).
After a finding that at least one of the grounds set forth in La. Ch.Code art. 1015 has been established by clear and convincing evidence, the trial court must then determine whether termination of parental rights is in the best interest of the child. See La. Ch.Code art. 1037(A). In the instant case, however, the lower courts did not address this issue, having found the State failed to prove any of the statutory grounds for termination under La. Ch. Code art. 1015. Based a review of the entirety of the record, we find termination of G.B.B.'s parental rights is in the best interest of L.B.