Expert: Libby Bonner - 2/26/2009

Question
My husband suffers from Bipolar Disorder. A year ago he lost his brand new job because he was near his maniac episode. After months of hospitalization we returned back to Chicago. Then he found another (present) job that he works for 6 month already. As for today, he refused to go to work and states that he is not going to work anymore, because economy is bad and....So he sleeps all days long. O called his doctor and he said my husband is paranoic right know. I give him medications and hope they will work soon. My husband is an engineer and very creative man but his illness ruin his/our life, we also have a baby. I am out of my brain. I don't know what to do. So far I just call his work every morning and say that he is sick. But I don't know what I can do to save his job. They can fire him and this is going to be really bad.  
Please any suggestion on how can I save his job and make him back to work? Are there any legal way to fight back to get him back this job? He still didnt loose his job but I am concerning.

Answer
Does he have a private psychiatrist?  [Not one at a public clinic.]  Is his doctor willing to see him sooner than his next scheduled appt?  It sound like meds need adjusting.  [The doc you called is in Chicago, or in the place you used to live?]

The Americans with Disabilities Act might still offer protection for his job.  I am assuming whether his present employer knows of his bipolar disorder?  The protections of the Act go into affect as soon as he [or someone] lets the employer know of his illness.  BUT the Act only requires the employer to make "reasonal accomodations" for his illness - if they need someone to work right away, and he can't, they are not obliged to hold his job open.

YOU should probably NOT be the one to make this contact.  [I'm not sure who can, besides your husband.]  But keep reading, below.  I would also try, if you can call the doc again, or can take your husband to the doctor very soon, to ask him for an estimate of when your husband might make a return to work.  Being able to tell work that "the doctor says it will be [however long] and then he expects he can return to work" is better than you calling in every day to say "he is still sick."  Of course, if work asks for a doctor's statement, it may become clear to them the nature of his illness....talk with the doctor about this.  But unless the doctor is well know by name, work will not know if the doc just says "I am this patient's doctor.  He cannot return to work yet.  I will re-evalluate him in [however many weeks] and would hope for soon after that."

I would like you to make some contacts w/ the National Assoc on Mental Illness, nami.org.  From that website, find out how to contact your state NAMI office, and also how to contact the smaller Chicago groups that may be near you.  The smaller groups may have pages at nami.org, actually.

I would ask the state office for the name of an attorney near you who has worked with persons w/ disabilites and esp on Amer Disabilities Act issues.  And contact that person.  Also ask the state office if there are any other people, not necessarily lawyers, you should contact who can help you at all.  Or ask if they have any guidance about telling your husband's work.    --- You can also make contacts, without waiting for their regular meeting dates, w/ any or all of the Chicago groups to see if you can find help at all, esp as regard to the Disabilities
Act.

The other place to try to find legal help is bazelon.org; their phone is 202-467-5730.  Their interest is disability law.

Now, back to your email to me.  You "hope that his meds will work soon" and you mention his having been manic at the time he began his other job.  Does he not stay on his meds?  If he has been off for awhile, it's important that he be on the RIGHT meds at the RIGHT doses.  He has been seen by a doc in Chicago and the meds are some prescribed there, is that right?  Or was he last seen where you used to live.  If he has been off meds for awhile, they will not work right away, unfortunately.

You may want to talk w/ his doctor, or with some NAMI people about filing for Social Security disability.  He would be eligible is he has worked in the US for 10 years; actually, 40 3-month segments at jobs that pay into the disability system....doesn't have to be 10 years right in a row.

IF he should lose his job, call the NAMI state office again to see about continuing his insurance under COBRA.  Maybe call a local NAMI group or groups to see about how to get state Human Services, how to get food stamps, etc.

If possible, I would try to start attending a NAMI group, one that has a support group for families.  You are always going to need the encouragement of other famlies, and the practical information that they have to offer.

I wish you good luck.