Call with Dad — 2026-05-27

Who was on it

• Dad (calling out from Haven, voice intact and engaged)
• Stephanie (his primary counselor at Haven)
• Paul

What Dad said

• Tics are his biggest current complaint. The lifelong Tourette's is the symptom hitting him hardest right now. Current meds (NAC + PRN clonidine) aren't fully covering it.
• He wants a neurologist. Reports Dr. Ignatov has done what he can on the tic side — wants neurology expertise specifically.
• He's eager for Phase 2 (The Recovery Team). Three named draws: phone access, the pool, and (most importantly) access to a neurologist there.
• He wants Paul to review his scans. Specifically asked for the EKG, MRI, and CT from Good Samaritan Hospital (April admission) so Paul can look at them and help adjust care.

Action items

• Request scans from Good Samaritan Hospital. Two paths: direct request to Good Sam (long shot — privacy walls); and ask Lynn (much more likely — she probably has them in his Haven file).
• Ask Lynn about Phase 2 + neurology. Bed-hold timing for The Recovery Team. Does The Recovery Team have neurology access? If not, line one up for Phase 3.
• NAC dose escalation — currently 300 mg/day. Research dosing for Tourette's tics is 600–1200 mg BID. Easy ask of Dr. Ignatov.

The narrative he's working through

Dad has been carrying a story that "mom doesn't want me home." What Angela is actually saying is closer to: "I want Paul to finish the program because it's the best thing for him. And I need space to process." Both can be true — she loves him, she's been showing up, and she also needs breathing room. The lifelong abandonment-trauma pattern from his own childhood is what turns "she needs space" into "she's leaving me."

Stephanie has been working this hard with him through the "proof" technique — when the abandonment-narrative spikes, she'll ask: "show me the proof. She's been calling daily, engaging with the care team, sending what you need, showing up. Does that sound like abandonment?" Reality-test the felt story against observable evidence. It's exactly the right intervention for this pattern.

San Francisco as a possible Phase 3 location

Dad floated this on the call — "when I'm done here, maybe I just go to San Francisco for a bit" — to give Angela space and spend time with Paul + Pat. Half problem-solving, half affection.

Paul's response: open to it as an option, if it's what best fits his recovery + program, and supports the family the best, when we get to that point in the program. Not a now-decision. Worth filing as a real Phase 3 alternative so it's not lost.

Implications if SF becomes the play: outpatient care team needs to be SF-based (psych + cardio + EMDR continuity all need transferring), not Apollo Beach. The Phase 3 prep doc would need a parallel SF-flavored version when the time comes.

What it means

Dad's voice is intact and engaged. Calling out, advocating for himself, naming his own care needs, asking Paul to be involved, and even thinking ahead to what comes after Phase 2 — these are all positive recovery signals. The motivation for Phase 2 is real and concrete (not vague "I want out"), which is the right shape of motivation at this stage.

Stephanie being on the call + aware of the asks is also good — counselor alignment on Phase 2 transition planning matters, and the proof-technique work is exactly the kind of intervention that should travel with him into Phase 2 and beyond.